Features

Despite the struggles of some of barramundi’s most ambitious farmers, production of the species continues to grow, as does innovation in the sector.

Callum Mackenzie, co-founder and managing director of the non-profit Yunus Thailand, explains the organisation’s ambitions to develop a seaweed-based social business economy to solve both social and environmental challenges.

Venture funding for aquaculture startups plummeted by 28 percent in 2024 amidst a slowdown in the VC sector, but there are still plenty of positives for some segments of the industry.

One of the early advocates of the Philippines’ smallholder seaweed farming industry, Iain Neish, has launched a new project in a bid to breathe new life into the sector.

After graduating from United States International University (USIU-Africa), with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Paul Murage opted to work at his family’s construction business, before establishing Pwani Fish Farm and Hatchery, in Kilifi County…

The recent purchase of a neighbouring farm means that the Moretti family are now farming mussels, oysters and kelp in Maine’s Casco Bay.

A innovative device that uses sonar to estimate the biomass in shrimp ponds is proving its worth in Ecuador following successful on-farm trials.

Lana Fish Company produces tilapia, carp, ornamental fish and even rainbow trout – despite being located in the Saudi Arabian desert – as executive director, Ibrahim Al-Madbouly, explains.

Sean Crosby gives a behind-the-scenes look at the Kachemak Shellfish Growers’ oyster hatchery in Homer, Alaska – an operation that’s helping to fuel the state’s mariculture boom.

The salmon farming sector will need to be smart to stay ahead of environmental challenges, according to Ben Perry, head of sales at Ace Aquatech.

In Bangladesh, public opinion holds strong that frozen seafood is inferior to its fresh counterparts, however, as Zubair Khan explains, this is often not the case.

A new generation is embracing aquaculture in India’s Bihar state, helped by several government schemes, but there’s room for improvement, according to the farmers.

Rizky Darmawan, CEO of Delta Marine Group, outlines the company’s expansion plans – with two new shrimp farms and a move into processing in the pipeline.

Robins McIntosh reflects on a year that’s seen continued challenges for shrimp exporters, an increase in bacterial diseases… and the experience of being caught up in a student uprising that overthrew a government.

Professor Kevin Fitzsimmons has an optimistic outlook for the global aquaculture sector, especially in terms of alternative aquafeed ingredients, but is deeply concerned how plans to raise import tariffs in the US will impact both the domestic seafood market a…

Having extensively explored the Western seaweed industry, Steven Hermans set off at the end of last year on a new adventure to Asia – the epicentre of seaweed cultivation.

A new toolkit that’s been specially designed to help seafood producers measure their carbon footprints has just been released by Blueyou, who are now inviting more aquaculture and fishery operators to use it for free.

Wavu aims to link smallholder fish farmers to high quality and affordable inputs, while also guaranteeing their offtakes, in a bid to ensure a more resilient future for tens of thousands of Kenyans.

Steve Sutton, founder of the up-and-coming shrimp producing company TransparentSea, explains his vision for establishing an indoor shrimp farm to supply the high-value Californian market.

Loc Tran is on the cusp of stocking a brand new 30 ha, 1,500 tonne capacity shrimp farm which he hopes will offer a blueprint for a new generation of farmers in Vietnam.

Kontali shrimp production analyst Erwin Termaat takes a deep dive into El Niño and La Niña - the climate systems intrinsically linked to Ecuador’s shrimp farming industry - providing insight into past trends and future outlooks.

Producing sterile animals brings a wide range of advantages over producing fertile ones and genome editing is currently the most promising technique for ensuring that sterilisation is both feasible and effective.

Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) present a promising pathway for sustainable seafood production, yet there are still numerous uncertainties – both for operators and potential investors – which urgently need to be overcome.

Despite being relative newcomers to the salmon sector, the new generation of hybrid flow-through systems (HFTS) are making profits and showing huge potential, in marked contrast to the struggling RAS sector.

Jeff Hetrick, director of the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute, a tribally managed marine research facility in Seward, Southeast Alaska, offers insights into the potential offered by the state’s growing mariculture sector, and the pitfalls it needs to overcome.

Mazen Elsawaf, technical director of Maher fish farm in Saudi Arabia and a strong advocate of RAS, represents a new generation of ambitious young Egyptians in aquaculture.

Recently completed on-farm trials have demonstrated that high-quality insect meal from Protix contains functional properties that can improve fish performance and welfare, as well as farmers’ profitability.

Kelp culture is still in its infancy in Alaska, but Evie Witten of the Kachemak Kelp Hub has plenty of ideas to unlock the market potential of the world’s fastest-growing seaweed.

The meteoric growth of Ecuador’s shrimp production has finally come to the halt due to low shrimp prices and weak Chinese demand, but analysts expect the shrimp world’s export leaders to make more inroads into the US market.

Independent sustainable shrimp producers will go out of business unless retailers are willing to pay more for their product, according to Jessica Rivera Rodriguez, sales director at MER Seafood, one of Honduras’s largest privately owned shrimp companies.

Greg Bates of Alaska Shellfish Farms recounts how he and his family have managed to grow their oyster business over the course of 17 years.

Tilapia farming in sub-Saharan Africa is experiencing incomparable growth rates, and experts expect these to continue apace, as it bids to finally fulfil its aquaculture potential.

Times have rarely been tougher for shrimp farmers in India, but Balasubramaniam V, general secretary of the Prawn Farmers Federation of India, believes that the industry can transform its fortunes through a combination of improved genetics, the use of native s…

Aquasend’s low maintenance water quality sensors are being used by an increasingly wide range of international aquaculture producers, as CEO, Kristin Elliott, explains.

A new, safer and faster way of converting CO2 into protein suitable for aquafeeds is being developed by b.fab, a German startup which aims to help establish a network of simple but effective production hubs around the world.

A round-up of the innovative ways that are being developed and deployed by salmon farmers in a bid to tackle the ever-present problem of parasitic sea lice.

The kelp farms of Kodiak are now ready to expand, if buyers - and the necessary processing infrastructure to serve them - emerge on time.

Mohamed Salah Ibrahim runs Al Sahaba Hatchery, one of the oldest tilapia hatcheries in Kafr El-Sheikh, and continues the legacy of his father, Dr Salah Ibrahim, one of Egypt’s pioneers of mono-sex tilapia production.

Coral Vita is employing cutting edge- aquaculture methods to protect the world’s coral reefs, in a bid to protect these vital ecosystems against the ravages of climate change.

How can fishers dabble in mariculture? Two ladies in Alaska show us how to enjoy the best of both worlds.