Feed will decide the future of aquaculture
Aquaculture has moved from complementing wild fisheries to becoming central to global food security and high-quality protein supply. North Atlantic salmon farmers, in particular, have demonstrated how sustained investment improves feed efficiency, fish health, and reduced reliance on wild-caught inputs. Yet a structural constraint is emerging that cannot be engineered away through incremental efficiency alone.
The feed constraint is real
Global seafood demand is projected to rise 20% by 2030, while forage fish catches are forecast to decline by up to 20% due to climate pressures and management limits, putting the future of fed aquaculture at risk.
Research to be presented at NASF by Dr. Kevin Fitzsimmons (University of Arizona, F3 Chair), published in Nature Food, projects a 1.8 million tonnes ingredient shortfall annually if the sector does not accelerate adoption. Rabobank has highlighted a similar sized risk by 2028.
Why meet with F3 at NASF?
For over a decade, F3 – Future of Fish Feed has worked to remove technical barriers to marine ingredient alternatives, helping catalyse innovators of alternatives, including large-scale fish oil alternatives like Veramaris, to market.
The next step moves upstream: from solution availability to farm-level adoption. This is why they seek dialogue with forward-leaning farmers in our region.
What a brief meeting with the F3 team in Bergen means for you:
- Direct access to validated alternative ingredient science
Through the F3 Feed Innovation Network, farms access tested ingredients, trial protocols, and multi-species data, including Atlantic salmon and other carnivorous finfish. - Practical pathways to reduce ingredient exposure
Adoption does not require wholesale reformulation. Pilot implementation can be limited to selected cages, in collaboration with major feed companies already in dialogue with F3. - Access to new capital and innovation networks
F3’s invitation-only meeting convening Silicon Valley venture and global impact investors backing next-generation feed and farm technologies with leaders across the value chain. Registered participants gain exclusive access to connect with cutting-edge feed and ingredient innovators. - A structured opportunity to lead through the F3 Fish Farm Challenge
The F3 Farm Challenge External link. recognises farms that produce and sell carnivorous fish raised without marine ingredients. More than $200,000 in cash prizes are available, alongside global media visibility.
Addressing the practical concerns
Farm executives typically raise four legitimate questions about feed alternatives and the F3 Fish Farm Challenge.
Cost
Alternative feed ingredients were once cost-prohibitive, but many novel proteins and oils are now price-competitive—especially when marine ingredient volatility is considered.
Performance risk
Alternative ingredients have been tested across salmonids and other species, with performance data now demonstrating that the technical barriers of a decade ago have largely been overcome.
Operational complexity
Implementation can start in defined production units or under research licenses, with F3 partnering alongside feed suppliers and ingredient innovators to ease operational friction.
Market reward
F3 is beginning dialogues with retailers and seafood buyers to promote responsibly fed fish, increasing opportunities for differentiation and premiumization.
From innovation to market: The F3 Farm Challenge
Earlier F3 Challenges targeted ingredient and feed companies, and technical solutions now exist. With the bottleneck now in adoption, this F3 Challenge drives demand, proves farm-level viability, and reduces reliance on volatile wild-caught inputs, rewarding decisive producers.
A Silicon Valley maxim applies: Make it first. Make it right. Make it fast.
Meeting with F3 at NASF offers an opportunity to:
- Stress-test your exposure to marine ingredient volatility
- Explore controlled pilot pathways
- Assess potential commercial upside
- Discuss access to impact investors and PE capital
- Determine whether participation aligns with your 2026–2030 strategy
If feed resilience, cost stability, and long-term growth are board-level topics in your organisation, this is a timely discussion.
Contact Ford Brodeur at ford@anthinst.org to set up a meeting, or stop by the F3 booth in the exhibition area.