Supporting aquaculture entrepreneurs and sustainable seafood in Asia-Pacific

Elisa Claire Sy’s tilapia farm may be small, but her fish leave a big impact.   

“My tilapia tastes sweet,” she said with evident pride. “Some [people] joke that there's a hint of coconut.”  

Sy is a successful fish farmer, entrepreneur, researcher and mother of three. Blending nature and modern technology, she and her team use coconut by-products and repurposed blended coconut mix as supplemental fish feeds, just some of many locally sourced and nature-based ingredients in the Philippines that can increase productivity and improve water quality on fish farms. She enjoys the fish herself in the traditional style — cooked whole with little seasoning to enjoy the natural flavours — but its quality is high enough that it can be sold as filets in supermarkets or sashimi in the restaurants of Manila, the capital of the Philippines.   

Sy is part of an IDRC-supported aquaculture research project and has recently begun sharpening her business skills as a member of AquaHub, a new multi-stakeholder network and enterprise support organization for sustainable aquaculture. Supported by IDRC and led by the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA) and FutureFish, AquaHub is helping innovators scale aquaculture solutions that can benefit both people and planet.

Nature meets technology: Sustainable tilapia  

Sy is not just growing fish — she and her team have developed and strategically implemented a regenerative system that happens to produce fish.  

Her farm, E-Primate Inc., uses a recirculating aquaculture system. These land-based operations filter and recycle water, reducing water usage and land footprints. But what makes Sy’s system different from others is symbiotic flora and fauna — plants and aquatic life that filter water and boost productivity and fish health just like the coconut by-products.  

“The waste management system is modular,” explained Sy. One part of the module — the flora — grows cultured algae to absorb excess chemicals and nutrients. Another module — the fauna — grows a live macroscopic sponge colony to collect microscopic sediments that improve water quality and fish health. Other locally available natural materials like lava rock and oyster shells add to the biological filtration, keeping water and fish clean without the use of chemicals.  

These nature-based solutions are just some of the innovations being developed, tested, promoted and scaled through the AQUADAPT initiative, a four-year partnership between IDRC and Global Affairs Canada. 

Scaling nature-based climate solutions 

For Sy, this marriage of technology, nature and community partnership is key to the future of food. Fish and seafood are a way of life in the Philippines, fundamental to nutrition and livelihood. Yet the sector faces many challenges, with capture fisheries being threatened by declining wild fish stocks. Aquaculture has the potential to grow to meet demand but faces additional threats like pollution, disease and unpredictable weather.  

“We’ve seen farmers whose whole production has been wiped out by typhoons,” said Sy.  

But since indoor systems like Sy’s are less exposed to the elements and support year-round production, she is now collaborating with small-scale producers whose farms will serve as nurseries and sell smaller fish to her farm for grow-out.  

“This is a win-win,” she explained. Shorter production for small-scale farmers — two months rather than the five or six it would take to grow to market size — means more regular income and less financial risk for small producers whose previously tiny margins left little room for disease, error or climate disaster.  

Her plan is to continue scaling production and expanding to new farm facilities. She is also prepared to help others adopt her farming system by offering infrastructure and technical support packages. These efforts will create new demand for plant-based filtration and feed supplements, supporting growers — especially women.  

However, she has struggled with financing and partnerships. Her climate-resilient technology delivers proven benefits, and buyers are ready to purchase the product, but she needs more investment to expand and maximize her existing facility’s production capacity. 

“I wasn’t talking to the right people,” she lamented, recalling how she kept hitting walls as she sought partnerships. 

The untapped potential of Asia-Pacific aquaculture  

Sy’s story is not unique; it’s the sign of a critical turning point and untapped opportunity in the aquatic foods sector. Hosting nearly 92% of the world’s aquaculture production, Asia-Pacific’s vast coastlines, rivers and lakes are ideal for farming fish, seaweed and shellfish. However, only 10% of the sector’s venture capital flows there, with most going to Europe or North America — far from what is needed for the sector to grow sustainably and equitably.  

In addition, much of Asia-Pacific's aquaculture is small-scale and informal, with many start-up farms that practice sustainable aquaculture lacking the business savvy, policy support and finance to grow. Without green innovation, aquaculture can degrade ecosystems or be devastated by disease.  

The perils and potential of entrepreneurship  

Sy's non-linear journey to entrepreneurship began while she was working in direct marketing for a manufacturer, where she built ties with rural fishing communities. The realities they faced were eye-opening for Sy, an urban dweller whose initial training was in early childhood education.   

But that was exactly how her commitment to development in the Philippines met a new passion: sustainable seafood. She teamed up with her then-colleague, Marvis “Ong” Mirasol, a biologist with expertise in marine ecology and commercial aquaculture. 

“It’s so important because it’s nutritious food, and there’s a huge demand,” said Sy. “So many days I’ve thought about quitting, but I know we’re doing something good.”  

How AquaHub supports innovators   

It was precisely the challenges faced by innovators and untapped opportunities in Asia-Pacific aquaculture that led experts to devise AquaHub. Described by AquaHub co-founder and FutureFish CEO, Michael Phillips, as a “bridge-builder,” AquaHub supports innovators to develop and grow nature-based businesses, many of them women and youth-led.  

As part of a wider regional network, the hub brings together innovators, investors, businesses and policymakers to develop strategies for scaling sustainable aquaculture innovations and to build bridges between the realities experienced by farmers and the people who make policy or investment decisions. For example, Sy is working with the Network of Aquaculture Centres in Asia-Pacific (NACA), government and researchers to develop a roadmap for scaling sustainable aquaculture innovations in the Philippines. Other partners are doing the same in Thailand and Fiji.  

Linking local producers and global markets: Seaweed innovation in Malaysia  

Like Sy, Malaysia’s “Dr. C+WEED,” Adibi Nor is a hub innovator and IDRC-supported researcher. He, too, saw the disconnect between farmers’ realities, investors and governments throughout his career in both government and academia.  

Nor is a self-described lover of seaweed, which can be used to produce everything from superfoods to skin-care ingredients, while seaweed farming practices create cleaner water without requiring many external inputs.  

Nor began in government, where he developed plans to grow Malaysia’s seaweed sector. Then, as a researcher, he saw how these plans were thwarted by local realities and global market fluctuations. While conducting research on Borneo island in Southeast Asia, he witnessed local and Indigenous producers struggling to make ends meet. Without knowledge of the value chain and with limited power, small-scale producers were at the mercy of intermediaries who controlled prices and offered low compensation regardless of quality. 

Today, Nor runs a business that connects the dots between small-scale farmers and global seaweed buyers who reward good products. He works with scientists who have developed diverse seaweed applications and processing techniques and trains farmers on new innovative approaches, like farming Gracilaria seaweed in shrimp ponds abandoned after a White Spot disease outbreak in the 1990s.  

Nor wants to bring more seaweed producers on board and expand the market. But for that, he needs investment, new facilities, and new partnerships — needs he believes AquaHub can help meet.   

The hub’s early signs of success 

Both Sy and Nor took part in the hub’s inaugural event,  AQUAINNOVATE: Scaling nature-based aquaculture, in May of 2025. Fourteen innovators and more than 30 experts and stakeholders gathered for an intensive five-day coaching journey, covering everything from how to pitch to investors to how to make businesses more environmentally friendly and gender equitable. It also provided connections with investors, established start-ups, sustainability certifiers and others.   

With the hub's support, Nor has started developing new partnerships to support scaling and has learned new skills in pitching that can serve him in all aspects of his business. 

And Sy feels confident that through the hub network, her innovation is getting the attention it needs to unlock its full environmental and social potential. Hub experts have coached her on her brand and investment strategy, and she has grown her network — investors are visiting her farm, governments have expressed interest and she is working with the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations on a plan for premium tilapia in the Philippines. She also recently presented her innovation to Asia-Pacific governments at the 3rd High-Level Meeting on Aquaculture Transformation in Asia and the Pacific Region, where she was one of the only farmers in a room full of policymakers and donors.  

While her current business already invests in community campaigns like school supply drives, her dream is to start a foundation that supports children and youth, coming full circle to her first career. 

Building on these successes, AquaHub will continue to bring new innovators and partners on board to grow the network and continue scaling promising solutions. The hope is that, soon, the first cohort of entrepreneurs like Sy and Nor will help mentor the next generation of green aquaculture business leaders.   

Want to get involved in the AquaHub? Visit aquahub.asia, follow the AquaHub on LinkedIn or e-mail connect@aquahub.asia.