Illegal fishing allegations in West Africa, reports of shrinking fish stocks, and louder calls for tighter global oversight are putting the seafood supply chain under a spotlight. For investors, this mix of risk and regulation is reshaping where capital might flow within sustainable seafood and aquaculture. Some companies could face higher compliance costs and political headwinds, while others tied to certified aquaculture, traceability, or alternative seafood may find more attention on their business models. This article walks through 3 stocks from the Sustainable Seafood and Aquaculture Screener that are positioned to benefit from these developments.

Sanford (NZSE:SAN)

Overview: Sanford is a long-established New Zealand seafood company that catches, farms, processes, and markets a wide range of species, from hoki and orange roughy to king salmon and greenshell mussels, across both wildcatch and aquaculture. Its products reach customers in North America, China, Europe, and other major seafood markets worldwide.

Operations: Sanford generates all of its NZ$568.3m revenue from farming, harvesting, processing, and selling seafood products, with key markets including New Zealand (NZ$218.1m), North America (NZ$98.7m), Europe (NZ$86.2m), and China (NZ$64.8m).

Market Cap: NZ$648.0m

For investors focused on sustainable seafood, Sanford stands out as a large New Zealand operator whose sustainability and traceability credentials could gain more attention as illegal fishing issues put pressure on less transparent competitors. The stock is trading well below its estimated fair value on Simply Wall St’s DCF, yet recent results show net profit margins at 12.7% with earnings up strongly year on year, supported by a half year net income of NZ$42.4m and an interim dividend. At the same time, forecasts point to flat earnings, high external funding risk, and a relatively less experienced, less independent board. The key question is whether Sanford’s stronger positioning on responsible fishing outweighs these financial and governance risks for long term investors.

Sanford’s mix of higher margins, a DCF-based discount and governance questions suggests the full picture is not obvious at a glance, so it is worth reading the 3 key rewards and 1 important major warning sign

Darling Ingredients (DAR)

Overview: Darling Ingredients turns animal by products, food waste, and used cooking oil into ingredients for feed, food, fuel, and pet nutrition, supplying everything from collagen and gelatin to renewable fuel feedstocks across North America, Europe, China, South America, and other regions.

Operations: Darling Ingredients generates about US$4.1b of revenue from Feed Ingredients, US$1.6b from Food Ingredients, and US$626m from Fuel Ingredients, with North America and Europe together contributing the bulk of sales.

Market Cap: US$9.0b

Darling Ingredients sits at the intersection of sustainability and protein demand, converting waste streams into higher value ingredients and supplying fish based proteins and oils that support more responsible aquaculture feed. Investors get exposure to a business tied to tightening environmental rules and biofuel mandates, but also one with a high P/E, regulatory uncertainty around renewable fuels, and reliance on external borrowing that keeps funding risk in focus. Recent earnings, a return to profit, and patent backed collagen products highlight why some see scope for margin recovery and deleveraging. However, past one off losses and slower revenue growth versus the wider market temper the story. An important consideration for investors is how these factors interact for Darling as scrutiny of seafood sourcing intensifies.

Darling Ingredients is recycling waste into profit engines, yet a high P/E and funding risk suggest the story is more complex than it looks, so the 4 key rewards and 2 important warning signs (1 is major!)

New Zealand King Salmon Investments (NZSE:NZK)

Overview: New Zealand King Salmon Investments farms, processes, and sells premium king salmon across New Zealand, North America, Australia, Asia, and Europe, offering everything from whole fish and fillets to smoked products, caviar, oil, and pet treats under brands such as Ora King and Regal. Its focus is on high end, branded salmon that is exported to chefs, retailers, and consumers worldwide.

Operations: New Zealand King Salmon Investments generates about NZ$176.6m in revenue from farming, processing, selling, and distributing premium salmon products, with sales spread across New Zealand, North America, Australia, China, Japan, Europe, and other markets.

Market Cap: NZ$126.5m

New Zealand King Salmon Investments gives you targeted exposure to sustainable, traceable aquaculture at a time when illegal fishing and shrinking wild stocks are pushing buyers toward controlled, certified supply. The company has shifted from a loss to a NZ$13.81m net profit in H1 FY2026 on NZ$100.25m of sales, is guiding to higher FY2026 harvest volumes, and is building premium positioning in China while keeping pricing in line with other markets. At the same time, higher risk external borrowings, past fish mortality issues, and exposure to air freight and energy costs mean the story is not risk free. The key consideration is how these fundamentals compare with the funding and execution risks that investors need to weigh.

Premium branding, a return to profit, and guided harvest growth put New Zealand King Salmon Investments in an intriguing spot. However, the real tension shows up in the 2 key rewards and 1 important major warning sign

The three stocks covered here are just a starting point, and the full Sustainable Seafood and Aquaculture Stocks screener on Simply Wall St surfaces 3 more companies with equally compelling sustainability and supply chain narratives through the Sustainable Seafood and Aquaculture Stocks screener. Use the platform to identify and analyze the specific catalysts, risks, and narratives that matter to you so you can focus on the highest conviction ideas in this space.

Take Control of Your Investment Journey

If Darling Ingredients or any of these companies sound like a great opportunity, register for FREE with Simply Wall St and add your companies to a Watchlist to monitor the share price against the fair value the ideal entry point. Once you've made your move, manage your holdings with our Portfolio Command Center that filters out the noise to deliver only the most critical, actionable updates. Throughout your journey, our Community allows you to filter the best ideas from thousands of investor perspectives. By uncovering hidden catalysts and risks early, you'll accelerate your decision-making and stay one step ahead of the market.

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.