Icelandic Aquaculture

Salmon farming, both at sea and on land, is the backbone of Icelandic aquaculture and the main driver of growth, investment and value creation in the sector. It has become one of the country’s fastest-growing food industries, strengthening coastal communities, supporting innovation and contributing significantly to export revenues and economic resilience.

Alongside salmon farming, shellfish, microalgae and seaweed cultivation are emerging as increasingly important pillars within the broader aquaculture ecosystem. Together, these production systems form a diversified and integrated blue economy, combining strong commercial potential with high sustainability performance. They offer scalable food production, climate-positive solutions and advanced biotechnology platforms that strengthen Iceland’s position as a leader in responsible aquaculture.

In Iceland, aquaculture on sea and land is developing as a connected system where different production models reinforce one another. Low-trophic aquaculture complements finfish farming by improving resource efficiency, supporting circular value creation and enhancing the overall sustainability of the value chain. These systems recycle nutrients, improve water quality and transform biological side streams into valuable resources for food, feed, energy and bioproducts.

By embedding circular economy principles across all forms of aquaculture, Iceland is building a resilient and diversified production model that reduces environmental impact while increasing economic efficiency and innovation potential. Land-based systems, sea-based farming and low-trophic cultivation together form an integrated ecosystem that maximizes value from natural resources while safeguarding marine environments.

Low-trophic aquaculture is fundamentally different from traditional fed aquaculture. It requires no feed inputs, is less exposed to commodity price volatility, and carries lower biological and environmental risk. Production is driven by natural processes that convert nutrients, sunlight and CO₂ into high-value biomass, creating highly efficient and resilient business models.

Together, salmon farming and low-trophic aquaculture position Iceland at the forefront of integrated, circular and sustainable seafood and bioproduct production on a global scale.