It's true that compared to land plants we have little control over the growing conditions of our wild marine plants. But we do have choices about how, when, where, and how much we harvest as well as how the plants are transported, dried, stored and packaged. The NOP (National Organic Program) Standards address all these areas and help ensure sustainability. NOP Standards give clear and uniform direction to all responsible parties for harvesting and handling these precious plants on their way to your table. Definitely worth the trouble!
Harvest Standards: These ensure that the seaweed is harvested at sustainable levels, in particular that the harvest bed or area remains healthy and productive (very much in our own best interest, of course!). Beds are inspected annually. Further, post-harvest handling and transport procedures are designed to ensure that no chemical contamination of the harvest occurs.  See The Harvest for a map and slide show.
Processing and Packaging Standards: These maintain the integrity and purity of the sea veggies from the harvester to the packaged product at our certified facility.  Lot numbers are documented at every step so that each bag of finished product can be traced back to the source.
Testing Standard: Certification agencies randomly test our products for pesticide and herbicide residues.  We also voluntarily test most of our products for these residues as well as for other chemical contaminants and microbiological concerns.