- Plant-based seafood is no longer a niche; it’s showing up in grocery stores, restaurants, and even sushi bars.
- Traditional fisheries may face both challenges and opportunities as consumer tastes shift.
Plant-based seafood is swimming into the mainstream, and it’s not just a passing fad. From salmon sashimi made of konjac to crab cakes crafted from pea protein, the category is expanding faster than many expected. Supermarket chains in the US and Europe are adding shelves of these ocean-inspired alternatives, and fast-food giants are dipping their toes into the trend. The question is: what happens to traditional fisheries when tuna tartare comes from a lab, not the sea?
A Market With Bite
The plant-based seafood market may still be small compared to burgers and “chicken” nuggets, but it’s gaining traction. According to Future Market Insights, the global plant-based seafood market is projected to grow at a double-digit pace over the next decade. Driving this surge is consumer curiosity, sustainability concerns, and the growing appetite for climate-friendly proteins.
For many shoppers, the pitch is simple: enjoy the taste and texture of seafood without the mercury, microplastics, or overfishing guilt. Companies like Gardein and Good Catch are leading the charge with frozen fishless filets and faux tuna pouches. Meanwhile, startups in Asia are experimenting with hyper-realistic plant-based salmon that looks so convincing, it could fool a sushi chef on a busy Friday night.
Fisheries, however, are watching closely. For centuries, their survival has depended on the steady demand for real fish. Now, they’re grappling with a market where the seafood plate could be filled without a single cast net or fishing boat.
What It Means for Fisheries
The rise of plant-based seafood poses both challenges and possibilities for the fishing industry. On one hand, it threatens to chip away at consumer demand, especially in Western markets where eco-conscious dining is on the rise. If more people swap shrimp cocktails for chickpea-based “shrimp,” fisheries may face shrinking sales.
On the other hand, some experts see an opportunity. By reducing pressure on overfished species, plant-based seafood could give marine ecosystems time to recover. In this way, the new wave of alternatives might become a buffer that helps traditional fisheries survive in the long run. Some forward-thinking companies are already diversifying by investing in plant-based ventures, seeing them less as competitors and more as lifeboats.
For coastal communities that rely on fishing, the shift could feel disruptive. Yet, just as dairy farmers found ways to coexist with almond and oat milk, fisheries might adapt by focusing on premium, sustainably caught seafood for a niche market while plant-based options handle the mass demand.
The broader food world is certainly paying attention. Influencers on TikTok are already posting taste tests of vegan scallops, while Michelin-level chefs experiment with plant-based eel in trendy tasting menus. Whether you’re a casual fish-and-chips lover or a devoted sushi purist, it’s clear this movement has fins.
Plant-based seafood is more than a quirky niche; it’s part of a larger transformation in how we think about protein, sustainability, and food culture. It forces us to ask: what does “seafood” even mean if it doesn’t come from the sea? As with plant-based burgers, the answer may be less about imitation and more about evolution. Whether you embrace it or eye it with suspicion, one thing’s certain—the tide is turning, and the future of seafood might not involve fish at all.
Jacklyn is a San Diego–based food journalist with a background in the confectionery world. Before diving into food reporting, she worked at a startup crafting plant-based, low-sugar sweets designed to make candy a little healthier
