Improving sustainability and welfare of aquatic food systems

As the global population continues to grow, aquaculture will play a leading role in building a more sustainable and resilient food system.

Globally, aquaculture is considered to be the fastest growing food supply sector. Between 1990 to 2020, the industry has grown by over 600% in annual output, with an average growth rate of 6.7%.¹

According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), global agriculture production reached a new record of 130.9 MT in 2022, with ten leading countries – China, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Philippines, Republic of Korea, Norway, Egypt, and Chile – producing 89.8% percent of total production.²

Not only does aquaculture play a vital role in securing economic security and food supply, it provides significant nutritional benefits. Fish are an excellent source of high quality animal protein and essential fatty acids, especially long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LCPUFA) and micronutrients – which are far greater in fish than land-based animals.³

Looking towards 2030, aquaculture’s contribution to feeding the population will continue to be vital. But with increasing pressure on ocean-based resources, the industry faces significant challenges to scale while also navigating the intersection of scaling technologies, regulatory changes, and mounting public scrutiny,

AI solutions – redefining aquaculture practices

Aquaculture farms are becoming heavily digitalized and automated. AI-enabled feeding systems, imaging tools, and precision nutrition platforms are positioned as excellent tools primed to scale the sector. As consumers demand healthy, sustainably produced seafood, these AI-driven solutions can help promote innovation, standardization, and digitalization – unlocking new growth potential to enhance resilience and support national food security.

Precision farming, or precision aquaculture, is being widely implemented as a data-driven approach to revolutionize fish-farming operations, using technology and automation to improve decision-making processes. Among these technologies are smart sensor networks and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies which have become vital tools to improve productivity and sustainability under increasing climate and resource challenges.

By understanding fish behavioral responses to worsening environmental conditions, precision aquaculture informs management practices by using cameras with associated algorithms, offering a powerful, non-invasive tool to continuously monitor and safeguard fish health and welfare.⁴

Smart feeding systems are also improving processes. Feeding strategies have been a focal point in optimizing aquaculture productivity as feed is the largest operating cost fish farmers face, ranging from 50% to 70% of total production expenses.⁵

Benefits of tailored feeding regimes for both freshwater and saltwater species have been recognized, noting improvements in feed efficiency and growth rates. Automated feeders are critical tools here, providing precise, automatic strategies which enhance sustainability and reduce labor costs.

Paired with automatic feeders to improve accuracy and reduce feed waste, fish finder machines using sonar, underwater cameras, and electrical impedance spectroscopy have increased effectiveness of imagery and detection, improving precision of feeding systems.⁶

Shift to novel feed ingredients

High demand for food supply, coupled with declining natural fish harvest, is placing significant pressure on aquafeed resources. Traditional aquafeed ingredients, namely fishmeal and fish oil derived from wild-caught forage fish, are commonly used to feed salmon, trout, and carnivorous marine finfish, such as seabass, tuna, and yellowtail.

These ingredients place significant pressure on marine ecosystems and are unable to meet supply demands. Fishmeal and fish oil rely heavily on forage fish like anchovies and sardines, leading to a reduction in forage fish landings – with 30% of fish stocks now overexploited.⁷

Environmental impact is another concern, as well as the presence of microplastics and chemical contamination in fish meal. Via feed, contaminants can enter the food chain and disrupt the surrounding environment. And, depending on the species, aquafeed accounts for between 30.5% to 93% of total production emissions.⁷

Looking to improve sustainability and efficiency, the industry is turning to alternative feed sources. Novel feed ingredients – microalgae, yeasts, fungi, and insect proteins – are promising alternatives to traditional aquafeed. Switching to novel food can eliminate the food safety risks associated with fishmeal, as well as reducing demand for forage fish.⁸

Microalgae use has been investigated thanks to its high protein content and balanced amino acid profile, with studies suggesting that it can be beneficial for fish growth performance.⁹ Insects are also a potential alternative. Grown using by-products and leftovers from food processing, insects are a sustainable alternative with less land, water and fertilizer requirements. A 2021 a WWF paper on insect farming suggested that 20% of the UK’s imported soy could be replaced by insect protein in the future.⁸

While the industry is turning to these novel alternatives, expanding to wider commercial use will require regulatory approvals and lower production costs. Securing long-term offtake agreements, to bridge the gap between pilot-scale and industry-scale production, will also be essential to provide a stable, cost-effective supply for producers.

Management of animal health

Developing climate-resilient fish strains, improving water management practices, and adopting innovative technologies are essential steps to ensure animal health in aquaculture.

Farmed seafood has faced backlash due to declining animal health and welfare issues. Common practices can lead to injury, stress, and disease outbreaks – resulting in impaired performance and mortality. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) states that disease outbreaks in farmed fish are not caused by primary pathogens, but closely linked to the husbandry and environmental conditions in which fish are being reared.¹⁰

Protecting aquatic animal populations is essential not only to improve welfare but to also ensure confidence in quality. Diversifying fish species, integrating new production systems, and implementing advanced technologies can help create more resilient aquaculture.

Advanced monitoring technologies, namely IoT-enabled sensor networks, can provide real-time data on fish health parameters by continuously tracking oxygen levels, pH, temperature, ammonia, and nitrates, enabling immediate intervention.¹¹ By analyzing trends, these technologies can help farmers to intervene before issues arise.

Remote monitoring also allows operators to oversee conditions from anywhere, receiving alerts when parameters move outside normal ranges. For example, computer vision can monitor fish behavior, feeding patterns, and detect early signs of disease through behavioral changes.

Additionally, implementation of selective breeding agronomic technologies represent a shift from reactive treatments to proactive solutions. Gene editing and gene silencing techniques can change the phenotype and modify cells, tissues and organs of animals in order to cure abnormalities and dysfunction in organisms.¹² This has great potential to improve growth, controlled reproduction, and disease resistance in fish.

Catalysing investment and impact

As demand for nutritious, climate-smart protein accelerates, the industry must focus on the future-ready farming systems and breakthrough technologies that are positioned to scale innovation across, aquaculture, and ocean-based innovation.

Returning to London on 27-28 May 2026, The Blue Food Innovation Summit brings together producers, investors, start-ups, corporates, technology leaders, and policymakers to connect capital, innovation and market demand.

The Summit uncovers the solutions that reduce environmental impact while unlocking scalable economic opportunity. From early-stage innovation to deployment at scale, sessions focus on what it takes to move from pilots to profitable, resilient blue food value chains.

With curated 1:1 meetings, investor and startup matchmaking, expert panels, and targeted networking, the summit creates the space for meaningful conversations, strategic partnerships, and investable ideas.

Join 200+ global leaders from MOWI, Nissui, Aqua Spark, Rabobank, Omarsa, ADM and more ready to shape the future of aquaculture and blue food.

To discover how you can play a part in this vital conversation, explore everything the Blue Food Innovation Summit has to offer – from senior-level networking opportunities to two rich days of insight‑driven content.

Visit the website or download the event brochure to see how you can get involved and be part of shaping the future of blue food systems.

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