Coastal areas and ocean floors are still relatively unknown

The west of Sweden is a unique collaborative environment for the development of knowledge, innovation and growth in the domain of the blue economy (fishing, transport, tourism, etc.). ‘Scary Seafood ’ is a project coordinated by the Department of Marine Sciences at the University of Göteborg; the objective of Scary seafood – new food from the sea is to showcase the wealth of local seafood products and generate interest in them. The coastal areas and ocean floor actually contain an abundance of food with all the edible but often unknown species to be found there.

Workshops and interviews with professionals in the marine food sector to raise the profile of the products

The project consists essentially of workshops and interviews with fishermen, breeders, tourism and catering professionals, researchers and the general public, focusing on particular marine species (mainly algae, jellyfish and crustaceans). The ultimate goal is to demonstrate that these resources can become marketable new products, leading to new culinary experiences and new sectors. It could therefore be a potential lever for highly profitable economic development across the entire region. 

The seafood products in question consist mainly of species only recently exploited for marketing purposes – common algae and crustaceans that have had no economic value until now. Also included are by-products from the fish processing industry (fish heads and tails, bones, innards, etc.).

Culinary experiences and trends

One of the major incentives for tourists and visitors is the opportunity to try new things, and this project is a chance to diversify and offer something different to attract summer visitors. The new species are a sustainable offering to attract curious travellers to Bohuslän.