Prioritising seafood diversification in Sweden: Integrating biological screening with stakeholder constraints

Abstract

Diversifying seafood production and consumption has been proposed as a strategy for improving the sustainability and resilience of food systems. Along the Swedish west coast, numerous low-trophic marine species remain underutilised despite growing interest in sustainable seafood diversification. However, biological suitability alone does not determine whether such species become viable food resources. This study combines biological screening of 38 underutilised marine invertebrate and macroalgal taxa with stakeholder evidence generated through interviews, workshops, and surveys conducted between 2018 and 2024. Species were assessed using a scoring framework, while stakeholder evidence was analysed to identify opportunities and constraints across the seafood value chain. The biological screening identified several promising candidates for diversification, including macroalgae, cephalopods, tunicates, sea urchins, and species of crabs. Stakeholder evidence revealed strong interest in these and other underutilised species but also highlighted recurring barriers related to supply reliability, processing capacity, market access, food-safety requirements, and regulatory uncertainty. The findings demonstrate that the principal constraints to seafood diversification are not primarily biological but organisational and institutional. Diversification opportunities appear strongest where biological feasibility aligns with enabling conditions across production, processing, markets, and governance. In particular, reducing regulatory uncertainty, strengthening value-chain coordination, and creating confidence for investment and market development emerged as important prerequisites for translating biological opportunities into viable seafood products and businesses. By integrating biological and stakeholder perspectives, the study provides a practical framework for identifying priority species and guiding policy and industry efforts to support seafood diversification.