Could prawn farms be a new path for business diversification in the UK?
14th November 2025
The owner of a UK-based king prawn farm, along with the researchers behind the project, said that introducing the farms could create a thriving and sustainable domestic seafood industry.
King prawns are one of the ‘big five’ seafoods eaten in the UK – but the vast majority of this tropical species is imported and often comes from environmentally damaging sources.
Researchers from the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project (UKSKPP) say there is a “better way”: cost-effective and environmentally sound king prawn aquaculture (seafood farming).
This path of diversification is set to create new employment opportunities and make the production of the freshest and tastiest seafood truly sustainable.
Growing a tonne of king prawns this way takes 50 times less land than raising the same quantity of pork or beef, boosting the UK economy and food security, the scientist said.
They added: “This impressive efficiency of land use for high-quality food production also opens opportunities for subsidies to support nature-positive solutions on other agricultural land (e.g., planting more woodland for CO₂ removal, improving biodiversity and reducing flood risk).”
Professor Ian Bateman OBE explained: “Nature restoration is vital, but if we simply take land out of farming, this reduces food production, shifting agricultural impacts on the environment elsewhere.
“King prawn production yields huge quantities of highly nutritious food on small areas, providing a great example of how we can spare land for environmental improvements without reducing food output.”
The only commercial king prawn farm in the UK
Dr Andrew Whiston, CTO of Rastech and co-founder of Eden Valley Prawns, told Farmers Guide that it has been “extremely challenging” to establish a prawn farm in the UK. “Several well-funded companies have invested millions in research and development, yet today Rastech operates the only commercial king prawn farm in the country,” he added.
“The good news is that we have now solved the key technical barriers. Our plan is to roll out farms across the UK, and we are actively looking for landowners to partner with.
“For many farmers, involvement could be as simple as leasing a suitable plot of land for us to build and operate the farm. At the other end of the scale, there are opportunities for deeper partnerships or joint-venture models for those who want to be more hands-on.
Researchers, business leaders and policymakers will attend a showcase for the project at the University of Exeter today, 14th November.
“If we are going to feed our growing population over the coming decades – while simultaneously reducing our carbon emissions and reversing biodiversity loss – sustainable aquaculture has to be a major part of food production,” said professor Rod Wilson, who leads the UK Sustainable King Prawn Project.
“In the UK, we already love eating king prawns as a healthy, high-quality and tasty seafood. Our project aims to support a new farming sector for homegrown king prawns, using indoor closed-system methods, harnessing renewable energy and integrating circular-economy thinking so nothing is wasted.”
The current retail value of king prawns in the UK is over £300 million per year, and even replacing a small proportion of this would boost the UK economy and reduce environmental damage.
Benefits of high-tech aquaculture
The scientist explained that growing king prawns in this way offers so many benefits, including to the UK economy, job creation in rural locations, and the environment (both in the UK and overseas) – but critically, prawns could just be the start.
Dr Robert Ellis explained: “Demand for protein in the UK will increase as our population grows. Ensuring we get this extra protein from a sustainable source is imperative to minimise negative environmental impacts.
“High-tech aquaculture operated in novel locations such as terrestrial farms or urban settings could offer the perfect solution and place the UK at the forefront of a sustainable seafood revolution.”
Today’s event will be attended by Dr Whiston, who said: “We’ve proved that king prawns can be raised and sold right here in the UK using only seawater, feed, and renewable energy. No antibiotics, no pesticides, no mangrove destruction and minimal food miles.
“The UK can lead the way in onshoring sustainable aquaculture; improving our food security with fresh, healthy seafood we can all enjoy with a clear conscience.”
‘Focus on solutions that already work’
To establish sustainable aquaculture at the forefront of the UK seafood sector, key barriers to the expansion of land-based production will need to be overcome, the researchers added.
These barriers include public perception of aquaculture, a suitably skilled workforce, technological and legislative innovation, and UK hatcheries for key production species.
The UKSKPP research team said its members are therefore working with industry and government and undertaking research to address these barriers and unlock a new seafood future for the UK.
Dr Whiston shared valuable advice with farmers, who would be interested in this type of farm diversification.
He said: “My main piece of advice is to focus on solutions that already work in the real world. Having spent many years as an aquaculture consultant, I’ve seen countless ‘revolutionary’ ideas presented in glossy brochures, slick videos and optimistic spreadsheets. Almost all of them go nowhere. Projects which I can actually visit fare much better.
“If you’re looking at diversification into aquaculture, make sure you’re dealing with a proven, operational system with real-world results – not just a concept on paper.”
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