The AquaNor conference is one of the most important gatherings in aquaculture. While much of the focus is on salmon and technology, the discussions today showed the industry is far broader.
Norway produced 2,8 million tonnes of seafood last year. Worldwide, production reached 223 million tonnes – about 28 kilos per person globally. With the world population expected to reach around 9.7 billion by 2050, demand will grow even further.
Voices shaping the industry
Christine Spiten, sailor, engineer, and co-founder of Blueye Robotics, opened the day. Her underwater drones help monitor fish farms, demonstrating how technology is transforming aquaculture.
Marianne Sivertsen Næss, Norway’s Minister of Fisheries and Ocean Policy, highlighted the enormous growth potential. Sustainability and innovation are key, but challenges like climate change, tariffs, and rising global demand must be managed carefully.
Sergio Nates from WWF shared insights from a joint WWF–World Bank report: aquaculture could create 20 million jobs by 2050. This shows the scale of opportunity if growth is sustainable and supply chains are strong.
Silje Forbord, Research Manager for Seaweed at SINTEF, discussed Norway’s seaweed industry. While 56 countries produce seaweed – mostly in Asia – Norway is still small: 470 tonnes were produced last year, but only 90 tonnes sold. Seaweed could become an important food source, but awareness and practical use are still limited.
The conference made it clear: seafood is changing fast. More people, more demand, more technology, and new products like seaweed.
Achilles can help
- Connecting buyers and suppliers in the seafood industry.
- Increasing transparency and resilience in supply chains.
- Supporting companies facing climate risks, tariffs, and regulatory challenges.
- Helping innovative suppliers, like seaweed producers, enter global markets.
Seafood is more than salmon. It’s about technology, sustainability, new markets, and meeting rising global demand. AquaNor 2025 showed that the industry is ready for growth and Achilles is ready to help make that growth safe, efficient, and sustainable.
