Elska Brings Deep-Sea Innovation and Human-Centred Design to Sustainable Aquaculture

Rooted in Nordic stewardship, Elska reimagines aquaculture through Deep Ocean Ranching, raising fish in their natural habitat. Blending ecological innovation with poetic branding and tactile, plastic-light packaging, the seafood company positions sustainability as both a scientific breakthrough and an emotional commitment to protecting the ocean.  

In an era when the world’s appetite for seafood is growing faster than the oceans can sustainably provide, Elska by Kind arrives as both a provocation and a promise. Rooted in a rare partnership between Norway and Iceland, two nations shaped by cold waters and centuries of maritime wisdom, Elska proposes that aquaculture does not have to be a compromise between feeding people and protecting the planet. Instead, it can be an act of care — for the ocean, for ecosystems, and for the future of food itself.

At the heart of Elska’s story is a radical rethinking of how fish are raised. Conventional aquaculture has long been criticised for its reliance on artificial feed, antibiotics, crowded coastal pens and visible environmental strain. Elska’s answer is Deep Ocean Ranching, a system that moves farming back into the fish’s true wild habitat, 200 metres below the ocean surface. Here, in the mesopelagic zone where light fades and natural rhythms dominate, fish grow as close to wild as modern technology allows.

The system is deceptively simple. Rather than forcing fish to adapt to human-controlled environments, Elska adapts its technology to the ocean’s own logic. Using natural fish fry and specialised light wavelengths, the deep-sea pens attract krill, zooplankton and other mesopelagic species, effectively recreating the natural food chain. There is no artificial feed, no chemical intervention and no need to medicate fish to survive unnatural conditions. Above the surface, the entire operation is almost invisible: a single floating ring emitting a soft glow, leaving the seascape virtually untouched.

This minimal presence is not merely aesthetic; it is ecological. By operating far below the surface and away from sensitive coastlines, Elska avoids many of the pressures that traditional aquaculture places on nearshore environments. There is no risk of escape into foreign ecosystems because the system uses wild local species. Mechanical stress is low, growth is natural, and the fish develop in the conditions evolution prepared them for. The result, Elska argues, is seafood that is not only healthier and more nutritious, but also ethically and environmentally credible.

Elska’s philosophy is woven directly into its name. In Nordic languages, “elska” means to care, to cherish, to cultivate, or simply to love. It is a word that implies responsibility as much as affection, and it sets the emotional tone for the entire brand. Elska is not positioning itself merely as a seafood company, but as a custodian of something wildly precious: the ocean itself. This emotional truth underpins its brand pillars — Wildly Delicious, Wildly Nutritious, Wildly Precious and Wildly Ambitious — which together express a vision of nurturing nature while feeding a growing world.

What makes Elska particularly distinctive is how this philosophy has been translated into brand identity and packaging design. In a category dominated by cold, industrial cues and glossy plastics, Elska has chosen a path that feels almost countercultural. Its visual language is poetic rather than technical, human rather than mechanical. A custom, hand-drawn logotype forms a continuous lifeline, symbolising both the deep-sea pen and humanity’s ongoing responsibility to the ocean. The emblem, made of two interlinked E’s, subtly references the Icelandic–Norwegian brotherhood at the company’s core, while also suggesting balance, continuity and interdependence.

Handwritten elements such as “Nurtured Naturally” add warmth and authenticity, reinforcing the idea that this is not an anonymous, industrial product but something shaped with care. The overall effect is a brand identity that feels calm, confident and deeply rooted in its purpose — ocean-smart engineering expressed through natural elegance rather than technological bravado.

Nowhere is this more evident than in Elska’s packaging design, which brings the brand’s values into the consumer’s hands in a tangible, sensory way. Designed with the same respect for nature that guides the Deep Ocean Ranching system, the packaging for Elska’s fish loin series is crafted from recyclable, colour-dyed cardboard in a signature palette. The colours distinguish different variants while maintaining a cohesive, premium look that avoids visual noise.

The structure itself is understated yet refined: a single curved sheet of cardboard that gently wraps the fish loin. A slender opening along the front offers a glimpse of the fillet beneath, creating a moment of quiet discovery rather than overt display. The ends of the sleeve remain open, reducing material use and reinforcing a sense of lightness and purity. Inside, a skin-pack solution bonds the fillet directly to the cardboard, creating an almost invisible seal that highlights freshness without resorting to excessive plastic or visual clutter.

To add depth and tactility, each sleeve features blind-embossed natural patterns inspired by the ocean and deep-sea environments. Four different organic textures subtly differentiate variants while staying true to Elska’s visual universe. A hand-drawn signature completes the design, underscoring the handcrafted nature of the brand and the care embedded in every detail.

The result is packaging that feels honest and warm, a stark contrast to the cold efficiency that defines much of the seafood aisle. Where competitors rely on shiny plastics and crowded graphics to signal freshness and scale, Elska communicates trust through restraint. Its materials invite touch, its forms suggest intention, and its minimalism feels confident rather than austere. It looks less like a mass-produced commodity and more like a thoughtfully crafted product — something nurtured, not manufactured.

This design approach is not merely about aesthetics; it is strategic. Elska speaks simultaneously to governments seeking sustainable food systems, aquaculture operators looking for viable alternatives, consumers increasingly concerned about provenance, and fishermen whose livelihoods depend on healthy oceans. By uniting these stakeholders around a shared belief that the ocean deserves better, Elska positions itself as a bridge between tradition and innovation, between ecological responsibility and commercial ambition.

Ultimately, Elska is telling a love story — not a sentimental one, but a grounded, practical expression of care. It is a story about recognising the wild as our most precious resource and understanding that what we cherish, we must protect. Through Deep Ocean Ranching, Elska demonstrates that it is possible to feed the future without sacrificing the ecosystems that sustain us. Through thoughtful brand and packaging design, it makes that philosophy visible, tangible and emotionally resonant.

In a world grappling with climate change, biodiversity loss and the pressures of a growing population, Elska offers a compelling alternative narrative for aquaculture. It suggests that innovation does not always mean more control, more machinery or more intrusion. Sometimes, it means stepping back, listening to nature, and designing systems — and brands — that work with the ocean rather than against it. Cherishing the wild to feed the future, Elska stands as a quietly ambitious reminder that sustainability, when done with care and conviction, can be both beautiful and profoundly effective.