Australis Aquaculture

What Australis Aquaculture does

Australis Aquaculture LLC is a privately held, vertically-integrated barramundi (Lates calcarifer) producer founded in 2004 by Josh Goldman. The company operates the world's largest barramundi ocean farm on a sea-lease in Van Phong Bay, Central Vietnam, controlling the production chain from hatchery through ocean grow-out to processing, with Fair Trade, ASC, and 4-Star BAP certifications. Its headquarters is in Greenfield, Massachusetts, and it markets consumer products under the registered "The Better Fish®" brand. After divesting its original land-based Turners Falls, Massachusetts recirculating aquaculture facility in 2018, the company concentrates exclusively on its Vietnam ocean operation.

The product portfolio centers on flash-frozen barramundi, processed via a patented Japanese belt freezer that chills fillets to -30°F in under 10 minutes. Core SKUs include raw formats (Simply Skinless, Simply Skin-on) and value-added preparations (Crispy Fish Tenders, Lemon Herb Butter, Tuscan Herb Butter, Garlic Teriyaki, plus a 2025 Lemon Herb Butter Club Pack for foodservice and club retailers). Go-to-market is multi-channel: U.S. retail grocery (notably Whole Foods), direct-to-consumer through Amazon, Instacart, QVC, and Fulton Fish Market, a dedicated foodservice wholesale team targeting restaurants, and international distribution under the Clean Harvest brand in Australia plus partners in Singapore and Hong Kong. Unit pricing is set at retail; wholesale pricing is opaque and engaged via a dedicated sales contact.

The business is privately held with no disclosed funding rounds, parent entities, or revenue figures, and operates with a 101–250 employee headcount. Its stated differentiation rests on sustainability certifications, a sub-1:1 Fish-in:Fish-out ratio, mercury levels averaging 0.02 ppm versus the FDA 1 ppm limit, and 650 mg combined EPA/DHA omega-3s per 4 oz serving. The company commenced construction on an advanced Vietnam processing facility in 2025 and holds partnerships with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, SeaWeb, and WWF Aquaculture Stewardship Council, in addition to receiving the U.S. Secretary's Award for Corporate Excellence in 2021.

Name

Australis Aquaculture

Legal name

Australis Aquaculture LLC

Website

https://thebetterfish.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Australis Aquaculture is a privately held, vertically-integrated producer of ocean-farmed barramundi sold under The Better Fish® brand, operating the world's largest barramundi sea farm in Van Phong Bay, Vietnam and serving U.S. retail, foodservice, and D2C channels plus select international markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Aquaculture Seafood

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Finfish Farming (e.g., salmon, tilapia, catfish) (AFAEAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Offshore & Open-Ocean Aquaculture (AFAEAAAH), Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Sustainable aquaculture seafood
• Barramundi fish farming
• Frozen seafood products
• Ocean farmed fish
• Foodservice seafood supply

Headquarters

HQ city

Greenfield

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Consumer Retail Products: Sells branded barramundi products directly to consumers through retail grocery stores and online marketplaces. Products include Simply Skinless, Crispy Fish Tenders, Lemon Herb Butter, Tuscan Herb Butter, and Garlic Teriyaki varieties. Frozen format distributed nationwide.
2. Foodservice/Restaurant Sales: Supplies barramundi to restaurants and foodservice operators nationwide through dedicated wholesale sales team. Products sold in bulk formats suitable for professional kitchens.
3. International Distribution: Bulk products available to chefs and caterers in Australia under the Clean Harvest brand. Retail and bulk products distributed in Singapore and Hong Kong.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Australis Aquaculture is the world's largest producer of barramundi, operating a vertically-integrated ocean farm in Van Phong Bay, Central Vietnam. The company produces and distributes The Better Fish® brand of frozen barramundi products (fillets, tenders, and flavored varieties) through U.S. retail grocery, online marketplaces, restaurant wholesale channels, and select international markets.

Product overview

Australis Aquaculture operates as a vertically-integrated barramundi aquaculture company producing The Better Fish® brand of frozen seafood products. The product portfolio centers on ocean-farmed barramundi (Lates calcarifer) sold under the The Better Fish® trademark. The core offerings include raw frozen products (Simply Skinless and Simply Skin-on) as well as value-added preparations with flavor profiles (Crispy Fish Tenders, Lemon Herb Butter, Tuscan Herb Butter, and Garlic Teriyaki). Products are sold in retail packaging (12 oz and club/foodservice sizes) and distributed through major U.S. retailers, online marketplaces (Amazon, Instacart, Fulton Fish Market, QVC), and foodservice channels. The company pioneered flash-freezing technology to preserve harvest-fresh quality, with products typically having a two-year freezer shelf life.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Simply Skinless Barramundi

Quantifiable outcome

• Fish-in:Fish-out ratio less than 1:1 - produces more edible fish than used as feed
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood WatchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program for ocean conservation. Australis works with leading ocean conservation organizations including SeaWeb and WWF Aquaculture Stewardship Council to ensure barramundi is part of sustainable food solutions.
• SeaWebcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner with SeaWeb, a leading ocean conservation organization, supporting sustainable seafood industry transformation.
• WWF Aquaculture Stewardship CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with WWF Aquaculture Stewardship Council to advance sustainable aquaculture practices and ensure barramundi contributes to food system sustainability.
• Clean HarvestregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorClean Harvest brand distributes Australis bulk barramundi products to chefs and caterers in Australia. This is the exclusive brand partner for foodservice distribution in the Australian market.
• GreenerGrazingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne-of-a-kind seaweed integration project specifically designed to combat ocean acidification and reduce methane emissions from ruminant animal production. Visit GreenerGrazing.org for more information.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Huon Aquaculture: Australian salmon and ocean trout producer (now part of JBS). Competes with Australis' Australian Clean Harvest distribution for premium aquaculture share in Australian foodservice and retail channels.

Direct peers

• MainStream Aquaculture: Australia-based barramundi producer and one of Australis' principal direct competitors. Both companies farm the same species for global retail and foodservice markets, making MainStream the closest comparable in species, geography of demand, and product positioning.
• Barramundi Group: Singapore-listed barramundi aquaculture operator with farms in Australia and Brunei. Competes with Australis in the same species across overlapping Asia-Pacific foodservice and retail channels.
• Regal Springs: Vertically-integrated tilapia and pangasius producer operating large-scale freshwater aquaculture in tropical geographies. Comparable to Australis in vertical integration, ESG-certification strategy, and U.S. retail distribution of responsibly-farmed white fish.

Broad incumbents

• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon producer with vertically-integrated farming, processing, and value-added branded sales. Sets the benchmark for scale aquaculture economics and competes with barramundi for the same white-fish/health-conscious consumer occasions.
• Cermaq: Global salmon producer (Mitsubishi-owned) with ASC-certified operations. Comparable to Australis as a large, sustainability-certified aquaculture incumbent supplying retail and foodservice channels with premium farmed finfish.
• SalMar: Norwegian salmon farming major with both ocean and land-based (Salmon Evolution) operations. Comparable to Australis as a publicly-listed, vertically-integrated finfish producer scaling into offshore and technology-driven farming.

Emerging players

• Atlantic Sapphire: Land-based salmon producer pioneering recirculating aquaculture at industrial scale. Comparable to Australis' original RAS roots and its push into technology-driven, climate-resilient finfish production, though Atlantic Sapphire has faced significant operational setbacks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebetterfish
• YouTubeyoutube.com/thebetterfish
• Facebookfacebook.com/thebetterfish
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebetterfish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/australis-aquaculture

Compliance9 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Australis Aquaculture