INVE Aquaculture partners Ecocean to strengthen marine fish restoration

FRANCE – INVE Aquaculture, an Italian research and testing centre for Artemia and marine fish, has partnered with French marine restoration specialist Ecocean to support the restoration of wild fish populations by combining specialised early-life nutrition with science-based marine conservation programmes.

The partnership integrates INVE Aquaculture’s larval nutrition expertise into Ecocean’s BioRestore® programme, helping improve the survival and development of juvenile fish before they are released back into their natural habitats.

The collaboration reflects growing efforts to apply aquaculture technologies beyond food production to strengthen marine biodiversity and restore declining fish populations.

BioRestore® is Ecocean’s ecological restoration programme built around three stages: capturing wild post-larvae, rearing them under controlled nursery conditions and restocking them into the wild once they have reached a stronger juvenile stage.

The approach aims to improve survival during the most vulnerable period of a fish’s life cycle, when natural mortality rates are highest.

Under the partnership, INVE will supply specialised feed developed for larval and juvenile fish, supporting healthy growth during the nursery phase before the animals are returned to coastal ecosystems.

The company said its decades of experience in early-life nutrition will help improve fish robustness and increase the success of restoration efforts.

Thomas Raynaud, Product & Business Development Manager Diets at INVE Aquaculture, said the collaboration demonstrates how aquaculture expertise can contribute to marine conservation.

“Through resource restoration projects like Ecocean’s BioRestore, we contribute our expertise in larval feeding to maximize the success of the reintroduction,” Raynaud said.

“I am very proud to have helped establish this partnership, as it highlights our shared passion for the ocean and our desire to respect and protect it for future generations.”

Ecocean Founder and Chief Executive Officer Gilles Lecaillon said nutrition is essential to the programme’s success.

“Early-life marine fish need diversified and good quality food to grow,” he said.

“From alive zooplankton collected during the initial BioRestore capture step to the high-quality pellets from INVE, all juveniles need the best to grow. INVE shared its long-time experience and knowledge to fit our specific request.”

For more than two decades, Ecocean has developed restoration technologies to improve marine biodiversity in ports, coastal waters and other aquatic environments through partnerships with governments, conservation organisations and industry.

The companies said the partnership demonstrates that sustainable aquaculture and marine conservation can work together, with technologies developed for fish farming also helping rebuild wild fish populations and strengthen aquatic ecosystems.

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