Sea Eight's land-based RAS sole farm in Asturias, photographed in January 2025 during its construction.
Photo: Sea Eight.
Less than two and a half years after breaking ground, Sea Eight has today inaugurated its first land-based farm with RAS (Recirculation Aquaculture System) technology. Located on the shore of the Cantabrian Sea, in the port of El Musel, in Gijón, Asturias, this is the second production plant of the leading premium sustainable sole farming company in Spain, where it operates another in Galicia, and the fourth in total, as it has two more in Portugal.
In its announcement about the inauguration, the company highlighted that this milestone is part of an ambitious plan that places it at the forefront of aquaculture technology worldwide. With this project, Sea Eight will integrate the entire production cycle—from reproduction and breeding to fattening, slaughter, and packaging—generating economies of scale that will consolidate the company as a benchmark in new-generation aquaculture.
The new facility is another step forward in the company's growth plan, which involves a total investment of EUR 55 million and the creation of over 100 jobs. The project, which in January this year secured private funding to consolidate this totalling EUR 14 million, also has the backing of both local and European institutions.
Specifically, at the local level, the company has received a participatory loan of EUR 2.1 million provided by the Asturias' Regional Promotion Society (SRP) and a guarantee of EUR 600,000 from Asturgar, a non-profit financial institution that provides financing for SMEs, self-employed workers, and entrepreneurs in the Asturias region, what adds to the aforementioned private financing, and another EUR 3.6 million in European funds.
The inauguration of the new facility in the port of Gijón was attended by the President of Asturias and other authorities and institutional representatives, who accompanied Sea Eight CEO Jaime León (second from left) during the ceremony.
Photo: Sea Eight.
"With this investment, we want to consolidate our leadership in the high-quality sole market. We are convinced of the need to produce food sustainably and locally to feed the population. Asturias will become a benchmark in sustainable aquaculture production on land," said Jaime León, CEO of Sea Eight, during this morning's inauguration ceremony in Gijón.
To achieve this, Sea Eight is committed to R&D&I, which it considers part of its DNA. The company is developing improvements in reproduction and nutrition processes and has launched a project to apply artificial intelligence to optimize production, guaranteeing a premium product with the highest quality and food safety, which responds to the growing global demand for sole.
Sea Eight currently produces 700 tons of sole per year at its four plants in Portugal, Galicia, and Asturias, and has a workforce of 70 people. Its strategic plan is to reach 1,500 tons by 2026, with 170 direct jobs and a turnover of EUR 30 million (EUR 10 million EBITDA).
The company has an exclusive agreement with Mercadona—the leading supermarket chain and the fastest growing in Spain in 2025, with a 27% market share—for the supply of sole, which will enable it to distribute its product throughout the country. In addition, Sea Eight already exports to several European countries and the United States, where it noted that it operates under the most demanding standards.
