Avery St. Onge

The rapid pace of AI development – and the many opportunities it presents – has created a sense of urgency among industries eager to adopt the technology and unlock its potential. Yet the frameworks for effectively applying it from one business to the next are still taking shape. “There’s a lot of lessons from history of not jumping in too quickly [and] jumping in at the right point,” Tony Chen, cofounder and CEO of aquaculture data analytics firm Manolin, said.

Lithuania-based Vičiūnai Group and France-based Frais Embal have been awarded the top honors at the 2026 Seafood Excellence Global Awards, which took place at Seafood Expo Global/Seafood Processing Global (SEG/SPG) in Barcelona, Spain, on 21 April. Vičiūnai Group won the Best Retail Product prize for its Smoked Herring Slices – Natural Flavor. Meanwhile, Frais Embal took home Best HORECA Product for its Salmon Roll. A panel of judges reviewed 35 finalist products representing 16 countries.

In the wake of a looming fishmeal shortage, the aquaculture industry is being forced to rethink traditional fish feed. According to a Rabobank study published in September 2025, critical fishmeal shortages could come as soon as 2028, with aquaculture already using up around 90 percent of the world’s fishmeal supply.