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Seafood & Aquaculture Weekly: Nine Stories Shaping the Blue Economy

🌏EU–India Deal Slashes Seafood Tariffs
The EU and India have signed a landmark free trade agreement dubbed the “mother of all deals,” covering nearly a third of global trade and eliminating tariffs on almost all goods, including seafood. The pact opens a two‑billion‑person market and promises major economic gains for exporters on both sides.

Global venture‑backed aquaculture deals fell 17% year‑on‑year to 73, yet overall investment value surged as investors concentrated capital into larger, later‑stage companies. The sector’s funding trajectory remains upward despite fewer total transactions. 

Mowi plans to nearly double its closed sea‑cage capacity to 320,000 m³ as part of its post‑smolt strategy and response to Norway’s environmental technology incentives. The expansion aims to improve fish welfare, reduce lice treatments, and enhance licence utilisation. 

Innovafeed and NaturAlleva have formed a partnership to introduce insect ingredients into feeds for Mediterranean species such as seabass, sea bream, trout, and sturgeon. More than 10,000 metric tons of feed will include insect ingredients beginning in 2026.

Aviwell closed a €11 million Series A to scale its AI‑driven microbiome discovery platform, Aneto™, which designs native microbial ecologies to improve animal performance. The capital will accelerate development of poultry and aquaculture solutions and expand commercial partnerships.

Oxygenation‑tech leader Oxzo secured $25 million from S2G to accelerate global expansion of its automated oxygen, air, and ozone systems for aquaculture. The company’s technologies boost productivity, reduce mortality, and support animal welfare across Chile, Norway, and Canada. 

A new IntraFish opinion column argues that scaling sustainable novel feed ingredients is far more complex than expected, with tough economic and volume‑related barriers. The industry now faces hard trade‑offs as producers struggle to keep costs competitive for farmers.

Engineering giant Aibel and aquaculture startup Utror are teaming up to apply oil‑and‑gas offshore expertise to next‑generation salmon farming. Progress, however, now hinges on clearer regulatory signals from the Norwegian government.

The High Seas Treaty—formally the BBNJ Agreement—enters into force on 17 January 2026, creating a framework to govern nearly half the planet’s surface and 95% of ocean volume. It enables new marine protected areas, regulates marine genetic resources, and strengthens global ocean governance.