In a world where over half of all seafood for human consumption comes from farming, aquaculture has transformed from a niche practice into a global food security pillar. The industry is dominated by Asia, which accounts for a staggering 92% of global production, with China alone responsible for nearly 60%. Yet, beyond national statistics, specific regions and pioneering sites stand out as the true engines of this “blue revolution.” These are the places where ideal conditions, massive scale, and cutting-edge innovation converge. This article explores the top 12 biggest and best aquaculture sites in the world, from the deep Norwegian fjords to the vast Mekong Delta and the high-tech offshore farms of the future.
What Makes a Site “Top”? Our Selection Criteria
Our list is curated based on a blend of scale, innovation, and influence. We considered:
- Production Volume: The sheer tonnage of seafood harvested.
- Economic Impact: The site’s role in national exports and local livelihoods.
- Technological Leadership: Adoption of sustainable and advanced farming methods.
- Global Influence: How the site shapes species markets (like salmon or shrimp) worldwide.
Here are the 12 sites that are defining the future of farmed seafood.
1. The Norwegian Fjords (Norway)
The Undisputed King of Farmed Salmon
Norway’s intricate coastline, with its deep, cold fjords, provides the perfect environment for Atlantic salmon. The country is the world’s largest exporter, supplying more than a fifth of the salmon consumed in the United States alone. The Hardangersfjord, for instance, is home to farms holding hundreds of thousands of fish, with some large operations stocking up to a million salmon. The industry is a powerhouse, worth over €10 billion. While facing challenges like sea lice and environmental concerns, Norway is also at the forefront of solutions, pioneering closed-pen systems that eliminate escapes and lice, and even converting waste into biogas.
2. Chilean Patagonia (Chile)
The Southern Hemisphere’s Salmon Giant
Chile has risen to become the world’s second-largest producer of farmed salmon, acting as the biggest supplier to the U.S. market. Its industry is centered in the southern fjords and channels of Patagonia, with the port city of Puerto Montt as its hub. In 2024, Chile exported over 780,000 tonnes of salmon and trout, valued at $6.4 billion, making it the nation’s third-largest export. The industry supports 86,000 jobs but operates in a complex environmental landscape, with many farms located in or near protected areas, sparking ongoing debates about sustainable growth in pristine ecosystems.
3. The Mekong Delta (Vietnam)
Asia’s Shrimp and Catfish Breadbasket
Vietnam is a global aquaculture leader, and the Mekong Delta is its beating heart. This vast river network is the country’s largest aquaculture hub, renowned for its massive production of shrimp (particularly giant tiger prawns) and catfish (pangasius). The region accounts for about 95% of Vietnam’s pangasius output and 70% of its shrimp production. Provinces like Ca Mau lead in shrimp farming, often integrating production with mangrove forests for more sustainable practices. This intensive farming system feeds millions and is a cornerstone of Vietnam’s seafood export economy.
4. Shandong Province (China)
The Frontier of “Marine Ranching”
As China’s top aquaculture province, Shandong represents the scale and technological ambition of the world’s largest producer. It leads the country in “marine ranching”—a concept of high-tech, semi-natural offshore farms. Shandong is home to 71 national-level marine ranches, 38% of China’s total. These are not simple cages; they are massive, high-tech operations. A single cage off the coast of Yantai can be 68 meters long, enclose 94,000 cubic meters of water, and hold one million fish for an annual catch of 1,000 tonnes. The sites are monitored with sonar, lidar, and automated feeding systems, showcasing the future of large-scale, efficient aquaculture.
5. Lake Volta (Ghana)
West Africa’s Tilapia Titan
Ghana’s Lake Volta, the world’s largest human-made reservoir by surface area, is the base for Tropo Farms, West Africa’s leading tilapia producer. Producing around 12,000-15,000 metric tons annually, the company operates pens far from shore, essentially practicing “offshore” aquaculture in a freshwater lake to ensure better water quality and oxygen levels. With concessions allowing for potential production of up to 50,000 tonnes, Lake Volta is a critical site for improving food security and reducing tilapia imports in a region with high fish consumption.
6. The Scottish Lochs (Scotland)
The Historic Home of Salmon Farming
Scotland’s sea lochs in the Highlands and Islands are the birthplace of modern salmon farming. Companies like Mowi, which began operations at Lochailort in 1965, have built a globally recognized brand for premium Scottish salmon. Mowi Scotland alone aims to harvest 70,000 gutted weight tonnes in 2025. The industry is evolving with new, larger offshore pen designs, such as a planned farm with six 200-meter-circumference pens capable of holding 3,000 tonnes of biomass. While facing public scrutiny over environmental impacts, these historic waters remain a key production zone for high-value salmon.
7. The Open Blue Farm (Offshore Panama)
The Largest Open-Ocean Fish Farm
Venturing far beyond sheltered coasts, Open Blue operates the largest open-ocean fish farm in the world, located more than 11 km off the coast of Panama. Specializing in cobia, the farm uses 22 massive, submersible pens built to withstand powerful offshore waves and currents. This deep-water environment results in healthier fish and minimizes environmental impact, with the farm reporting no measurable impact on the local ecology. Harvesting 1,200 tons of fish annually, Open Blue represents the bold frontier of moving aquaculture further out to sea.
8. The Hawaiian Ocean Science & Technology Park (HOST), USA
The World’s Aquaculture Innovation Playground
On the Big Island of Hawaii, the Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawaii Authority (NELHA) hosts what its director calls “the biggest aquaculture playground in the world”. Its unique selling point is access to pristine, cold deep-sea water pumped from 1,000 meters below the surface. This resource supports an incredible diversity of projects, from microalgae production and abalone hatcheries to offshore kampachi (Almaco jack) farms and octopus R&D. As a hub for accelerators like Hatch Blue, HOST is less about mass production and more about pioneering the next generation of sustainable aquaculture technologies.
9. The Nile Delta (Egypt)
Africa’s Largest Aquaculture Producer
Egypt is Africa’s aquaculture leader, and the Nile Delta region is its core. Using a mix of earthen ponds, irrigation canals, and modern recirculating systems, the Delta produces vast quantities of tilapia and mullet, primarily for domestic consumption. This production is vital for national food security and protein supply in a densely populated region. The success here demonstrates how aquaculture can thrive in water-scarce environments by integrating with existing agricultural drainage systems.
10. The Bay of Fundy (Canada)
The Power of the Tides for Salmon and Oysters
Located between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Bay of Fundy has the highest tides in the world. This powerful, constant water exchange creates an excellent environment for aquaculture, flushing farms clean and providing high oxygen levels. The region is a major producer of Atlantic salmon and has become a global leader in oyster farming, particularly for the prized “Malpeque” and “Beausoleil” varieties. The combination of strong industry players and rigorous environmental monitoring makes it a model for sustainable cold-water aquaculture.
11. Java Island (Indonesia)
The Archipelago’s Shrimp and Seaweed Powerhouse
As the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer by volume, Indonesia’s output is immense, and the island of Java is a central contributor. Coastal areas, particularly in East Java, are dense with shrimp ponds producing for export. Simultaneously, Indonesia is the world’s largest producer of seaweed (eucheuma cottonii), used for carrageenan, with much of it farmed in shallow waters around Java and other islands. This dual focus on high-value shrimp and commodity seaweed exemplifies the diversity of Asian aquaculture.
12. The Sundarbans Region (India & Bangladesh)
Integrated Shrimp Farming in the Mangroves
The Sundarbans, the world’s largest mangrove forest spanning India and Bangladesh, is a unique aquaculture site. Here, shrimp farming (especially for black tiger prawns) is often integrated with the mangrove ecosystem in a practice known as “silvo-aquaculture.” While large-scale conversion has caused environmental damage, sustainable models that preserve mangrove buffers are gaining traction. This region highlights both the economic imperative of aquaculture for poor coastal communities and the critical challenge of balancing production with the conservation of vital coastal ecosystems.
–
The Future Flows from These Waters
From the tech-driven marine ranches of Shandong to the community-based ponds of the Sundarbans, the world’s top aquaculture sites showcase a spectrum of approaches to feeding a growing population. The industry’s future will be shaped by how these places address their challenges—environmental sustainability, disease management, and social license to operate. One trend is clear: the push towards open-ocean and technologically intensive systems, as seen in Panama, Hawaii, and China, will continue to expand the frontier of what is possible. As these 12 powerhouses evolve, they will not only supply our seafood but also define the blueprint for responsible and resilient food production from the sea.