The European Union recently launched an initiative to meet the growing demand for algae -- including from the aquaculture feed sector -- and to help the bloc become more self-sufficient.

The new initiative includes developing a toolkit for algae farmers and identifying optimal sites for seaweed farming.

Today, the EU imports €600 million ($630 million) worth of seaweed annually from China, Korea and Japan, making it one of the biggest importers of seaweed globally, but this figure is on a steep upward trajectory and expected to reach €9 billion ($9.4