Latest Mediterranean Aquaculture News: Business, Tech & Science

EUROPEAN UNION | CONSUMPTION

Declining fish consumption in the EU is not only about price: supply and retail are reshaping which species reach consumers

Brussels, 21 July 2026 | EUMOFA identifies a shift from weekly consumption towards more occasional purchases and warns that convenience, year-round availability and large retailers’ strategies are concentrating the market around fewer species

ENERGY | SHRIMP FARMING

Ecuador’s shrimp industry still relies heavily on diesel as electrification plan takes shape

Ecuador, 21 July 2026 | The National Chamber of Aquaculture estimates that the industry may require between 1,000 and 1,500 MW and says around 90% still relies mainly on diesel for pumping and aeration

AQUACULTURE POLICY | PLANNING

EU aquaculture policy does not clearly define now citizens should participate in its development

Finland, 20 July 2026 | A study warns that the absence of common criteria for involving local communities could weaken social acceptance, trigger opposition and lengthen the planning and authorisation of new aquaculture projects

NUTRITION | FUNTIONAL FEEDS

Corvina grande | @misPeces

More field evidence is needed to validate the use of functional feeds in meagre

Portugal/Spain, 20 July 2026 | A review by CIIMAR, the University of Porto and IEO-CSIC identifies positive effects on stress responses, intestinal health and antioxidant defences

NORTH AFRICA | AQUACULTURE DEVELOPMENT

Morocco raises number of active aquaculture projects to 244, but actual production remains far below 90,000-tonne target

Rabat, 17/07/2026 | ANDA reports a target production capacity of nearly 90,000 tonnes, while the World Bank estimates actual output at around 3,600 tonnes and identifies gaps in hatcheries, feed production, cold storage and processing

LARVAL REARING | MICROBIOTA

When two tanks under identical conditions produce different larval survival rates, look at the microbiota

Global, 16 July 2026 | Scientific evidence points to continuous microbiota management during the larval stage as a key factor in achieving stable juvenile production

AQUACULTURE NUTRITION

AlFunFeed prepares first validation in European seabass of fungal proteins produced from macroalgae waste

Vigo, 16 July 2026 | The project will compare three filamentous fungi and assess growth, feed efficiency, immunity, microbiota, welfare, costs and carbon footprint

BIOTECHNOLOGY | MICROALGAE PRODUCTION

Artificial intelligence could make microalgae plants more efficient

Global, 15 July 2026 | Sensors and predictive models can help anticipate problems, optimise resource use and plan production in microalgae cultivation, although their effectiveness will depend on data quality and whether the benefits outweigh the cost of implementation

INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER

Only two Portuguese aquaculture patents demonstrate application beyond the laboratory

Matosinhos, Portugal, 15 July 2026 | A system for estimating biomass in tanks and a polymeric material tested in a RAS facility with European seabass stand out in a blue innovation landscape where 94% of technologies have not reached demonstration under operational conditions

COMPANIES | PRODUCTION AND RESULTS

Mowi reaches record second-quarter harvest of 150,000 tonnes and lowers farming costs

Oslo, Norway, 15 July 2026 | The group exceeded its guidance for the period by 10,000 tonnes and increased operational EBIT by 23%, although major differences in profitability remained across its farming regions

HEALTH | VACCINES

Dibaq Diproteg aims to deliver vaccination against lactoccocosis through feed for rainbow trout and European seabass

Segovia, Spain, 14 July 2026 | Through INMUNOFEED, the Dibaq Diproteg-led project will develop feeds containing oral vaccines against lactococcosis in rainbow trout and European sea bass and validate them under farm conditions

NUTRITION | NEW FEED INGREDIENTS

Gammarus locusta | @misPeces

Gammarids can convert plant-based co-products into omega-3-rich biomass for aquaculture

NUTRITION | AQUAFEEDS

EU protein plan opens opportunities for aquafeeds but leaves the sector outside its core measures

Brussels, 13 July 2026 | The European strategy could increase the availability of local and circular ingredients, but it does not guarantee that aquaculture will gain access to cheaper proteins

IN-DEPTH

NUTRITION | AQUAFEEDS

EU protein plan opens opportunities for aquafeeds but leaves the sector outside its core measures

Brussels, 13 July 2026 | The European strategy could increase the availability of local and circular ingredients, but it does not guarantee that aquaculture will gain access to cheaper proteins

Science-to-business | FEEDS

Microalgae in aquafeeds: how much can realistically be included and what return can farmers expects?

Luxembourg, 3 July 2026 | In terms of total inclusion, the European Commission considers technically feasible ranges of 10% to 15% algae-based ingredients in salmon and trout feeds, and 20% to 25% in feeds of European seabass and gilthead seabream.

INTERVIEW

The importance of trial units at BioMar’s R&D centres for the development of efficient and profitable aquafeeds

Iannis Karacostas explains to misPeces how trial units help refine the nutritional requirements of species such as European sea bass, gilthead sea bream and rainbow trout, with the aim of improving growth, feed conversion, product cost and profitability for producers

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Videos

NOWA, Network of Women in Aquaculture - Garazi Rodríguez

September 30, 2025

Garazi Rodríguez, treasurer and co-founder of NOWA. NOWA is a network of women from the Mediterranean and Black Sea regions, Network of Women in Aquaculture.
Javier Ojeda (APROMAR) - Steps boost aquaculture's growth

September 28, 2025

At the Aquaculture Europe 2025 – Valencia, misPeces interviewed Javier Ojeda, general manager of APROMAR, who analysed the current state of aquaculture in Spain and Europe and reflected on the steps needed to boost its growth.
The Conference & Tradeshow - AE25VAL

September 29, 2025

Valencia played host to the European Aquaculture Europe 2025 conference. In line with its slogan, 'Aquaculture for Everyone', the event brought together 3,115 participants from 97 countries. Plenary speakers, scientific sessions, industry forums and events for students made up the programme.