Mediterranean Aquaculture: Growth Meets a Changing Climate

What happens when one of aquaculture's most important regulatory systems doesn't deliver the results it was designed to achieve? We examine the next chapter of Norway's Traffic Light System and the debate over how sea lice should be managed in the years ahead. Learn why regulators are reconsidering production boundaries, what new proposals could mean for farmers, and how a decade of data has reshaped the conversation around wild salmon, parasite management, and industry growth. It's a closer look at how one of aquaculture's most influential regulatory frameworks continues to evolve, and why the decisions made in Norway could shape salmon farming around the world. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

How do you keep one of aquaculture's biggest success stories growing as the environment around it changes?We're taking a closer look at Mediterranean aquaculture and the remarkable rise of European seabass and gilthead seabream farming over the past two decades. Learn how record marine heatwaves are beginning to reshape fish biology, farm performance, and long-term planning, and why producers are increasingly relying on better forecasting, data, and management to adapt to a changing environment. Join us as we explore how one of the world's fastest-growing aquaculture regions is preparing for its next chapter.For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

Aquaculture has now surpassed 100 million tonnes of production, supplying more seafood to consumers than wild fisheries. But the most interesting story in the FAO's latest State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture report is not the milestone itself but where growth is happening. In this episode, we break down the major trends shaping global seafood production, consumption, and trade, including the continued rise of aquaculture, the growing importance of Asia and Africa, and why many of the industry's future opportunities may emerge far outside the regions that have traditionally dominated seafood discussions. We also examine what the report suggests about fisheries, future production growth, and the long-term forces reshaping the global seafood system. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

What happens when El Niño tightens the supply of fish oil just as salmon markets and global shipping are already under pressure? A newly confirmed El Niño in the tropical Pacific is putting renewed attention on Peru’s anchovy fishery, one of the world’s most important sources of fishmeal and fish oil. With warmer ocean conditions, fishing restrictions, rising container costs, and salmon producers already facing margin pressure, aquaculture could be heading into a more volatile pricing cycle than past disruptions suggest on their own. The conversation breaks down why fish oil prices are climbing, why the timing matters, and how better production planning, data visibility, and risk management can help companies prepare for uncertainty they cannot control. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

This week, we’re sharing a special episode from Deep Dive: The SeafoodSource Podcast on the practical applications of AI in seafood. SeafoodSource speaks with Tony Chen, CEO and co-founder of Manolin, about where AI is already creating value in aquaculture and seafood, and how companies can separate useful tools from hype. We’re excited to bring this conversation to our listeners!-----Practical Applications of AI in Seafood with Manolin CEO Tony ChenAs AI evolves at breakneck speed, seafood companies are left to determine which technologies are actually worth adopting and which are just noise.In today’s episode, we tackle that question with Tony Chen, CEO and co-founder of aquaculture data analytics firm Manolin. We caught up with him at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global to explore how the technology is being used within the industry today, Manolin's vision for AI in aquaculture, and what the future may hold.This episode was made possible by SeafoodSource Premium.Upgrade to a Premium Membership today using code DEEPDIVEBecome a SeafoodSource Premium Member | SeafoodSource Theme music: "Relaxed Podcast Beat" by Tunetank via pixabay.com Learn more at SeafoodSource.com or email [email protected] to share any show ideas or guest suggestions.

What if one of the most important aquaculture growth stories isn’t happening in Norway, Chile, or Ecuador but in East Africa? This episode we step into a region that’s quietly transitioning from small-scale aquaculture into something far more commercial and durable. Focusing on Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, and Rwanda, we break down the structural forces driving growth (rising protein demand, pressure on wild fisheries, and improving feed, infrastructure, and policy support) and why Nile tilapia sits at the center of it all. From Uganda’s push into export markets to Kenya’s commercial scale-up through companies like Victory Farms, and Rwanda’s rapid transformation led by Kivu Choice, this is a look at how an entire region is beginning to industrialize aquaculture in real time. We also hear directly from Kamran Ahmad on what it takes to build a scaled fish business from scratch and what comes next. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

This week we break down what Måsøval’s strategic review and leadership change may signal for the company and for the broader aquaculture industry. We look at how production growth, rising costs, biology, and debt can move out of sync over time, and why that creates real pressure for mid-sized farming companies. Get a clearer view of the financial and operational forces behind the headlines, along with insight into what this case may reveal about acquisition potential, structural risk, and the challenge of scaling efficiently in salmon farming. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.

Could a microscopic algae bloom quietly reshape Norway's salmon farming season before most of the industry even understands what's happening? This week, we're tracking the Pseudochattonella bloom spreading across southern Norway, walking through the three distinct phases of the outbreak so far, from the early mortality events at Mowi's Flekkefjord sites in early March to the second wave building near Arendal just days ago. We break down what makes this particular species behave the way it does, how it compares to the Chrysochromulina bloom that devastated northern Norway in 2019, and why Chile's catastrophic 2016 event still serves as the industry's clearest warning of what's possible when conditions align. We close with what farmers and operators should be watching in the weeks ahead, and why the difference between a contained event and a serious operational problem often comes down to how early the right signals are being read. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n' Bits blog.

What separates the salmon farms that thrived in Q4 from the ones still bleeding money and does it all come down to where they're located? This week, we break down the Q4 financial results from the publicly traded salmon companies, walking through EBIT per kilogram figures across the industry and unpacking why companies like Grieg and SalMar cleared 20 NOK/kg while others in Iceland and Scotland finished deep in the red. We also get into why Mowi's Norway division outperformed nearly everyone, yet the company still ranked third overall, a reminder that geography can make or break a balance sheet. Then, we sit down with Kaspar Coates and Nikolai Jensen, two Norwegian School of Economics graduates whose master's thesis is turning heads industry-wide, exploring how site-level factors like seawater temperature, sea lice pressure, and disease exposure directly tie to financial performance on the farm. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n' Bits blog.You can also check out Kasper and Nikolai's master thesis Investigating the relationship between site-specific biological characteristics and financial performance, in conventional open-net salmonid farming in Norway here.

If large language models are so powerful, why can they still get basic things wrong? In this episode, we take a practical look at how AI systems actually work, why hallucinations happen by design, and what’s being done to reduce them. We break down core concepts like probabilistic prediction, chain-of-thought reasoning, RAG systems, context windows, API orchestration, and cost structures. Not from a tech hype lens, but from a business one. Most importantly, we explore what this means for seafood companies integrating AI into real workflows: how to think about reliability, data access, governance, and long-term cost before plugging models into sensitive systems. This isn’t about whether AI will matter but about how to use it responsibly at scale. For more aquaculture insights head to our Fish n’ Bits blog.