Erick Morales Oyola, Unsplash
Financing Regenerative Seaweed and Aquaculture: The Investment Need and Opportunity
Systemiq, Planet Ocean Capital, & Global Seaweed Coalition Fisheries & Aquaculture
The ocean is a lynchpin of human health, prosperity and climate stability. Yet it is under pressure, facing intensifying and compounding threats from overexploitation, pollution, habitat destruction, invasive species, and climate change. Moving from our traditional ocean economy to a new paradigm – a regenerative ocean economy – offers a pathway to restore ecosystems while strengthening food systems, livelihoods and resilience.
Seaweed and bivalves aquaculture are nature- and climate-positive sectors that embody the potential of a regenerative ocean economy. They require no freshwater, fertilisers or land-clearing, actively improve marine ecosystems, and provide sustainable food and low carbon raw materials.
Their impact potential is matched by robust market fundamentals. Bivalves account for nearly half of EU aquaculture by volume, with prices rising across markets. The global seaweed sector has tripled since 2000 and is forecast to grow at ~20% CAGR, reaching an estimated $313 billion by 2040 in most ambitious projections. While nascent in Europe, the sector is gaining traction, with a potential multi-billion euro market opportunity this decade.
Download the full white paper here.