The Fall of Alternative Seafood and the Real Future of Plant-Based Innovation
Over the last decade, we’ve witnessed the rise (and rapid fall) of plant-based proteins. Beyond Meat, Impossible Burger, and those who made their way into the seafood space—including brands like New Wave Foods, Good Catch, and Ocean Hugger—captured headlines, investor dollars, and shelf space. But fast-forward to today, and many of them are either on life support or have quietly exited stage left.
As someone who works at the intersection of seafood science and consumer behaviour, I’ve been a long-time skeptic of the alt-seafood movement. Not because innovation is inherently bad—but because these products were trying to solve a problem that didn’t exist.
Seafood, when harvested and managed responsibly, is already one of the most sustainable and nutritionally complete proteins on the planet.
It’s rich in bioavailable nutrients like EPA and DHA omega-3s—nutrients critical for brain and heart health that are virtually absent in most plant-based alternatives. In fact, omega-3 deficiency is rampant in the U.S., especially as more people replace nutrient-dense foods with highly processed substitutes. Why are we trying to “innovate” our way back to nutrition when the ocean already had it figured out?
Many of the “seafood substitutes” on the market are ultra-processed, taste horrible, and have a surprisingly large environmental footprint when you account for processing, packaging, and synthetic additives.
And while some consumers are driven by animal welfare concerns, the reality is in order for us to eat, something has to die. Yes, even when eating only plants. That’s the circle of life. (But that's a conversation for another time.)
For those who are committed to avoiding animal protein entirely, the answer doesn't need to be fake shrimp made in a lab. Because the ocean already provides natural, nutrient-rich plants—without the need for artificial processing, packaging, or marketing spin.
Welcome to the return of the original plant-based seafood.
Yep, I’m talking about seaweed and kelp.
Unlike the products that tried to mimic seafood, seaweed and kelp are the real deal—nutrient-dense, climate-positive, and culturally rooted in coastal cuisines around the world. They require no feed, no fertilizers, no freshwater. Farming seaweed and kelp actually improves water quality and biodiversity, making them one of the few truly regenerative food systems we have access to.
Forward-thinking companies are already beginning to build on this opportunity:
👉 North Coast Seafoods is integrating farmed kelp into their product line, including chef-driven options like kelp meatballs that pair kelp with North Atlantic fish to deliver a clean-label, functional product consumers can trust.
👉 La Dulse Vita is helping normalize wild North Atlantic dulse as both a culinary ingredient and nutritional powerhouse, with a focus on traceability, taste, and minimal processing.
👉 Barnacle Foods is putting Alaska-grown kelp front and center with products like their tangy kelp hot sauce—blending bold flavor with regenerative impact.
👉 Atlantic Sea Farms is making seaweed accessible to everyday eaters through ready-to-eat items like their fermented seaweed salad, sourced from independent Maine farmers.
👉 Nautical Farms is showing how simple pantry staples can deliver oceanic nutrition, offering kelp flakes harvested and dried with care in Maine.
This is the kind of “plant-based seafood” that actually makes sense—one that supports ecosystems, honours cultural traditions, and nourishes people with real, functional nutrition.
This is what real innovation in seafood looks like. We don’t need to replace fish with synthetic alternatives—we can just elevate what the ocean already provides. Combine it with smart sourcing, cultural integrity, and strong storytelling, and you don’t just get a product taking up shelf space—you get a movement worth rallying behind.
The future of seafood innovation lies at the intersection of human health, ocean health, and culinary excellence. With the alternative protein bubble deflating, we need to reorient our focus toward seafood that is real, regenerative, and rooted in science.
