How plant-based and cultivated alternatives are being tested as part of a changing food system
Imagine tucking into a flaky filet of fish or crispy battered prawns – but instead of coming from the sea, these dishes are entirely plant-based, or crafted using new food technologies. And, better still, they look and taste just like the real thing. If this sounds a bit futuristic and too good to be true, well, they’re already starting to appear in some markets.
The alternative-seafood industry has emerged in response to some of the biggest challenges facing our oceans. In this article, we take a look at why this sector matters and the current state of animal-free seafood.
Why plant-based seafood has the potential to be so important
The seafood sector is a massive industry, valued at more than $257 billion,1 and growing every year. Global consumption of aquatic animals rose by more than 20% between 2001 and 2021, with the United Nations’ Food and Agriculture Organization anticipating a further 10% increase in production by 2032.2
Our oceans are already barely meeting demand: industrial fishing occurs in more than 55% of ocean area – four times the area used by agriculture – and nearly 40% of fish stocks are over-exploited.3
At the same time, in 2021, aquaculture production surpassed capture production for the first time in history, putting further strain on global fish stocks, since many fish, especially carnivores, are fed with fishmeal and fish oil.
With such pressures, the alternative seafood industry has emerged as one area of experimentation. Plant-based, fermented, and cultivated seafood products have the potential to ease the burden on marine ecosystems and to offer ethical and climate-friendly alternatives. Plus, they’re tasty enough to satisfy even the most hard-to-please seafood lover.
Global capture fisheries: key trends and impacts
The global food system relies heavily on aquatic animals. However, the growing demand for fish places significant environmental pressure on marine and freshwater ecosystems, raising concerns about the sustainability of current production levels. The resulting impacts include the overexploitation of fish stocks, major losses in biodiversity, and destructive fishing practices.
What’s on the table?
The plant-based seafood sector has developed rapidly over the past few years, with brands such as Good Catch, OmniFoods, and Wildtype developing products in the category. Some plant-based seafood alternatives are already available on supermarket shelves and menus in some countries, and there is ongoing development of cell-cultivated seafood. However, availability is currently limited, and initial growth has slowed from its rapid pace at the turn of the decade.4
Nutritional assessment of plant-based fish alternatives
This report explores the rapidly growing market for plant-based fish alternatives, offering a comprehensive analysis of 100 retail products sold between 2024 and 2025 across 11 countries and 3 continents. These included familiar favorites such as fish sticks, burgers, filets, canned tuna, smoked salmon, shrimp, and calamari — all made entirely without fish. Our research examined their nutritional quality, front-of-pack labeling (Nutri-Score ratings), and use of micronutrient fortification.
A global appetite for change
Alternative seafood has been tested in a number of markets in the United States and the United Kingdom – and has seen short-term increases in some European countries. In Germany, plant-based seafood sales rose by 50% in value between 2021 and 2023, with a 38% increase in unit sales and an 18.7% rise in volume, although the latest figures show a decline from 2023-24, so the picture is uneven.5 In contrast, the UK has seen some strong growth, with sales value up by 21% and unit sales up by 16.3% between 2022 and 2024.6 While still a small part of the plant-based market, seafood alternatives are gaining some traction – particularly in countries where innovation and consumer awareness are accelerating.7 In Asia, where seafood is a culinary cornerstone, demand for plant-based alternatives is limited and uneven so far. Overall, as of early 2025, plant-based seafood remains a small segment of the wider plant-based market, but one that is continuing to develop.
Traditional seafood giants are continuing to explore the category. Companies such as Thai Union have launched products, while major retailers in the UK have released their own alt-seafood ranges. It’s clear that interest extends beyond niche startups, although the sector has slowed down after a promising start a few years ago.
What’s next?
While alternative seafood makes up just 0.1% of the US seafood market, based on 2021 figures,8 its trajectory in its early years mirrored the early days of plant-based meat and dairy alternatives: rapid growth followed by a period of consolidation and some unpredictability in sales.
So it’s not a straightforward growth picture, but what’s driving the interest in alternative seafoods? As with other alternative proteins, health, sustainability, and animal welfare seem to be the primary motivators. However, curiosity also plays a large role in motivating consumers to try out new products, and in the end it all comes down to the eating experience. Alternative protein seafoods need to taste great as well as offering sustainability and welfare benefits.
On the plate
Whether you’re a flexitarian, a seafood lover looking for sustainable choices, a committed vegan, or simply curious, alternative seafood offers one more way to rethink familiar dishes. Your next favorite dish might be plant-based sushi or a plant-based prawn curry.
Simon Middleton
Senior Writer
- Global seafood market value, (2022). Statista. Available at: https://www.statista.com/statistics/821023/global-seafood-market-value. Accessed 2023-07-11. ↩︎
- FAO (2024) The State of World Fisheries and Aquaculture 2024 – Blue Transformation in action. Rome. Available at: https://doi.org/10.4060/cd0683en ↩︎
- Ibid. ↩︎
- GFI (2021): Alternative seafood industry update. Available at: https://gfieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2021-Alternative-Seafood-Industry-Update.pdf. ↩︎
- GFI Europe. Plant-based retail sales in six European countries, 2022 to 2024
https://gfieurope.org/european-plant-based-sales-data/#germany
↩︎ - Ibid. ↩︎
- GFI Europe. Plant-based sales data 2023. Published 2024. Available at: https://gfieurope.org/plant-based-sales-data-2023/
↩︎ - GFI (2021): Alternative seafood industry update. Available at: https://gfieurope.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2021-Alternative-Seafood-Industry-Update.pdf. ↩︎
