Aloha. We're James Arthur and Daniella Smith, the heart and soul behind Seatopia. Our venture is deeply rooted in family values, committed partnerships, and an unwavering dedication to sustainable seafood. James Arthur brings a background in marine biology and environmental advocacy, while Daniella lends expertise in holistic health and nutrition.

For generations, the essence of community thrived on a symbiotic relationship with the food we consume, a relationship eroded by industrial food production. We founded Seatopia as our steadfast commitment to mend that broken bond. Inspired by the principles of the Slow Food Movement, we are intent on building a new supply chain that dismisses the impersonal and unsustainable practices of commodity-based trading.

We don't just want to offer you sustainably-farmed seafood; we aim to rebuild a community that insists on knowing the origins of their meals. Our membership model serves as a bridge between you and our conscientious farm partners, ensuring full-circle transparency and regenerative action.

This isn't merely a business for us; it's a mission to bring the virtues of clean, community-driven, and regenerative food back to dining tables across the Blue Planet.

We can no longer ignore the impact of overfishing from industrial “wild-caught” seafood. Nor can we condone commodity fish farms devoid of transparency or environmental accountability.  Having worked in marine ecology, James Arthur understood that properly managed aquaculture was not only possible, but essential to regenerate ecosystems and mitigate pressure on the oceans.  But where were the truly sustainable "smart-aquaculture" farms and why was it so difficult to consistently access high-quality seafood with transparent provenance?  

Well, as it turns out, the commodity seafood supply chain that most of the world relies on, was not designed to support boutique farmers.  It was optimized to quickly move vast quantities of highly perishable seafood from a myriad of sources, as cheaply as possible.  For farmers, the incentives are all based on volume and price.  Quality, sustainability, and fair labor are not valued in a supply chain that lumps everything into a commodity bucket devoid of connection to the farmer.  As a result, most aquaculture farms follow the industrial agricultural model, producing cheap products for commodity aggregators who pay as little as possible before reselling commodities to distributors who resell it to smaller distributors who resell to retailers who eventually resell it to consumers.

In 2014, James Arthur began a journey to find the outliers of the industry, the artisan aquaculturists who resisted the temptations of global scale, to focus on innovative algae-based feeds, low-density open ocean farms, antibiotic-free operations, and multi-trophic permaculture systems.  In the years that followed, through Omega Blue Seafood, we partnered with artisan farmers and began introducing a never-before seen quality of seafood to Southern California chefs and quickly earned our fish a place on the menus of many of the most celebrated Farm-To-Table restaurants in North America.

Our mission at Seatopia is to intimately link our community with artisan farms practicing innovative aquaculture, embodying our commitment to a regenerative seafood supply chain with a net positive impact on our oceans. We focus on cultivating better, healthier seafood, reducing the strain on wild fish stocks, and initiating transformative environmental projects like our Seaforestation Kelp reforestation project. This initiative not only sequesters carbon but also provides essential habitat and food sources for marine life, contributing to a holistic and regenerative ocean ecosystem.

We connect our members directly to artisan aquaculture farms that raise fish from non-GMO eggs, nurtured in low-density, antibiotic-free conditions, fed micro-algae based oils and innovative protein alternatives for fishmeal like soldierly larva and mycelium protein. Seatopia is a trailblazer, establishing the first farm-to-table seafood cooperative with a commitment to the very best quality aquaculture, fair labor practices, and steadfast environmental stewardship.

Committed to the planting of 1 Kelp Tree for every Seatopia Box sold, our Kelp reforestation initiatives are critical in offsetting ocean acidification, carbon emissions and fostering marine biodiversity, aligning with broader conservation goals to rejuvenate and protect our oceans.

Seatopia is more than a seafood provider; it's a community hub for those who demand accountability, quality, and sustainability from their food sources. Together, we are laying the foundation for a regenerative future for our oceans and our tables."

The saying “all fish are created equal” could not be further from the truth.  

Despite seasonal opportunities to acquire wild-caught seafood, sometimes at bargain prices, unlike most seafood companies, we do not promote any wild-caught seafood. If you have a direct relationship with a fisherman you know that is catching individual fish with a single hook and line in regions with clean water, devoid of parisites, or concerns of overfishing, by all means, support him or her.

We do not believe the world needs more pressure on wild seafood. SEATOPIA is a truly scalable a seafood supply chain for that only works with truly sustainably-farmed seafood, thus that we can proactively and quantifiably mitigate pressure on the ocean's overfished wild stock populations while directly monitoring feed inputs to produce clean, consistent and quantifiably safe seafood. 

How much feed is needed to grow a farmed fish?

Fish and shrimp are extremely efficient in converting feed into high-quality protein. On average, farmed fish require 1.1 kg of feed to gain 1 kg of body mass, compared with 1.7 kg for poultry and 6.6 kg for cattle. 

Through a comprehensive understanding of the specific nutritional needs, Atlantic salmon is currently the most efficient animal to produce, with the lowest FCR.

Fish are the most efficient animal to produce, as the feed conversion ratio (FCR) is so low. FCR is the amount of feed an animal needs to gain one kilogram of body weight. 

Due to many years of research into the specific nutritional requirements, Atlantic salmon is now the most efficient animal to produce, with the lowest FCR. Typically Atlantic salmon needs 1.15 kg feed to gain 1 kg body weight. Pigs need more than twice as much food as salmon to gain 1 kg, while sheep need to eat almost six times as much. 

Fish also has a high harvest yield in comparison with other farmed animals. Harvest yield is the percentage of the animal left after inedible parts have been removed. For example, Atlantic salmon has a yield of an entire 68%. Chicken in comparison has a harvest yield of just 46%.

Farmed salmon continues to be one of the most eco-efficient forms of animal protein production – with the lowest carbon footprint, lowest feed conversion ratio, and lowest land use

Stewards of the Blue Planet

While we’ve put a lot of energy into delivering the absolute best seafood to your dining table, we’ve also done the same with everything else you’ll receive from Seatopia. There are a lot of companies out there claiming sustainable solutions but then you receive your seafood packaged in styrofoam and other petrochemical plastics. 

Our seafood is delivered carbon neutral via UPS Priority overnight with carbon offset shipping, packaged in an environmentally-friendly cold chain, thermal cooler that is fully compostable. The outer shipping box is made of 100% recycled materials using soy inks and our vacuum-sealed freezer bags and labels are also compostable. Even our postcards are printed on 100% sustainable, hemp-blended, recycled paper. We’re not perfect, but we’re endeavoring to create a truly sustainable company and committed to improving at every facet of our supply chain. 

Learn more about our efforts to create the world's first truly sustainable seafood supply chain.