Acadian Seaplants of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

. Family-owned with more than 35 years of experience in collecting seaweeds.

. Employs about 300 full- and part-time people, plus another 300 contract fisher-harvesters in the Maritime Provinces of Canada and on coastal Maine.

. Manufacturing facilities: three in Nova Scotia, one in New Brunswick, one on Prince Edward Island.

Research and development center in Nova Scotia.

. Seaweed used for everyday products including foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, beverages, animal feeds and organic fertilizers.

. Won numerous awards including the Nova Scotia Environmental Award for Industry.

. Company gives oral presentation to Maine officials each year for resource management and harvesting plans; written plans no longer submitted because of company’s fear of competitors having access to proprietary information through Freedom of Access laws.