Year of the Ocean 2025 : Circular Blue Economy in the Spotlight
2025 will be remembered as the year when the ocean shifted from being an exploited resource to an ecosystem in urgent need of protection. Amid biodiversity collapse, ecosystem pressures, and unprecedented international mobilization, the Year of the Ocean placed France and Europe face to face with a harsh reality: our coastal economic models must be reinvented. At the heart of this transformation is the circular blue economy, which turns by-products into resources, reduces waste, and builds resilient sectors. This article reflects on a pivotal year and innovations shaping the future of coastal territories.
An unprecedented mobilization
In 2025, France made the ‘Year of the Ocean’ a true catalyst for ocean awareness. Hundreds of certified events took place across the country, culminating in Nice hosting the 3rd United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC 3), co-organized with Costa Rica.
This sequence, the largest ocean conference ever held, brought together 175 states, scientists, NGOs, and economic actors, resulting in a political declaration and an action plan setting a common course: better protect marine ecosystems and steer the blue economy toward greater sustainability. Nationally, the Year of the Ocean underscored the strategic role of the blue economy for coastal territories: jobs in fishing and aquaculture, shipbuilding, coastal tourism, and emerging marine bioeconomy sectors.
While the mobilization was exceptional, the results remain mixed. NGOs emphasize the gap between announcements and reality: much of the so-called ‘protected’ marine areas remain open to industrial fishing, the text adopted in Nice lacks the binding force of an international treaty, and the required ratifications for the high seas agreement are yet to be met. Thus, the Year of the Ocean 2025 stands as an important milestone that set the framework and sparked momentum but still must translate into structural changes.
Ecological challenges revealed
The Year of the Ocean cast a spotlight on the critical erosion of marine biodiversity. Marine species populations have declined by an average of 56% since 1970, and in France, 41% of species are exploited unsustainably (WWF France). Warning signs are increasing: a historic 70% cut in mackerel quotas for the North-East Atlantic is recommended for 2026, and sardine fishing bans in 2025 have been implemented in parts of Portugal, France, and Spain to protect already fragile stocks.
Ocean warming also weakens the resilience of coastal ecosystems : 44% of reef-building corals, vital to biodiversity and coastal protection, are now threatened with extinction. Simultaneously, invasive species such as sargassum have reached exceptional biomass levels—up to 37.5 million tonnes estimated in the Atlantic—and persistently pollute the Caribbean and West African coasts. Overall, about 18,000 marine species face degradation or disappearance. Against these alarming facts, one truth stands out: every marine resource counts. This is the core of the circular blue economy.
Circular blue economy in action
In this context, the circular blue economy emerged as a central theme of the Year of the Ocean 2025. According to the Plan Bleu for the Mediterranean, it is ‘a low-pollution economy, efficient in resource use, and based on sustainable consumption and production modes.’ It aims to transform waste and by-products into valuable resources, create new economic opportunities, and enhance the resilience of coastal territories.
The challenge is significant. Marine by-products represent 40 to 60% of the volumes processed (France AgriMer): filleting waste, aquaculture by-products, and processing leftovers. In France, about 51,800 tonnes are currently underutilized (converted into fish meal though they could serve human nutrition, ADEME source), corresponding to an estimated loss of 414 million euros (2025 white paper, Anti-Waste Fund). Faced with these underexploited resources, players like Upcyclink develop alternative and innovative solutions.
In parallel, France launched in 2023 a national roadmap for developing the algae sector, fully aligned with this momentum. This strategy aims to structure the microalgae, macroalgae, and spirulina sector, recognizing their economic and environmental potential in pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food, agriculture (biofertilizers, biostimulants), energy, and bioremediation.
From innovation to industrialization : 4 concrete initiatives
- SOBRE®: the mobile unit that localizes valorization
Winner of the Inno Expé Sobriété regional grant in Brittany, the SOBRE® project embodies this territorial revolution. Developed by Upcyclink and Le Garrec SAS, this mobile biorefinery transforms by-products from fish, algae, fruits, or vegetables directly on-site, with a capacity of 1.4 tons per week.
Plug-and-play solution, SOBRE® enables industrial players to valorize their agri-residues into high-value ingredients (human, animal, and plant nutrition) without logistical constraints or heavy investment. Commissioned in July 2024, the unit embodies the principles of the circular economy: full valorization (zero waste goal), relocation (reducing transport emissions), and accessibility (real-world pilot trials). Initially tested in the marine products sector in Brittany, SOBRE® is designed for deployment at the European scale.
- PROMALG-HEALTH: when Breton algae nourish hospitals
Funded by the ANR France 2030, the PROMALG-HEALTH project, led by the University of Western Brittany (LEGO laboratory) and the University of Southern Brittany (Marine Biotechnology and Chemistry laboratory), explores macroalgae as protein sources for hospital catering at Brest CHU. The algae, cultivated in Brittany by France Haliotis, are transformed into attractive recipes by the firm Bord à Bord. Upcyclink’s expertise contributes to a key stage: adapting lab processes to pilot volumes and producing algal extracts ready for industrialization.
- CHITALPACK: shrimp shells pack the future
Led by ADRIA Development, CHITALPACK illustrates the valorization of crustacean by-products. The project aims to develop sustainable food packaging based on chitosan extracted from shrimp shells — an abundant aquaculture by-product. This natural, biodegradable biopolymer with antimicrobial properties offers a credible alternative to conventional plastics. The objective is to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of a marine-based bio-sourced packaging sector.
- FEAMPA Innovation: the financial lever
In July 2025, France launched a national call for projects dedicated to innovation in seafood product processing and marketing. This scheme specifically targets the valorization of by-products and sub-products, encouraging the development of new products, innovative processing techniques, and digital solutions to optimize value chains.
And now ? Transforming momentum into sustainable impact
The Year of the Ocean 2025 laid essential foundations. Yet, real transformation hinges on collective ability to sustain this momentum over time.
Facing marine resource depletion and biodiversity loss, optimal valorization of every marine biomass becomes an ecological, economic, and social imperative. It’s no longer just about reducing waste, but rethinking value chains. Upcyclink, expert in valorizing marine and terrestrial by-products, supports this transition at every stage: from collaborative R&D to pilot scaling, then industrialization. With its mobile SOBRE® unit, eco-responsible processes, and local bioeconomy expertise, we aid in structuring sustainable sectors generating shared value.
Do you generate marine or agricultural by-products? Explore their valorization potential with our tailor-made solutions!”
