RINA's approval of offshore fish-farming vessel

 

The ship classification society, RINA, has recently announced its approval of a new-concept offshore fish-farming vessel, Ocean Ark.

The vessel is developed by Ocean Arks Tech of Chile (OATECH) in accordance with RINA Rules and Marpol, Solas and IMO regulations. It delivers a new approach to fish farming and will dramatically improve fish health, crew comfort and the industry's image.

The ocean may present a solution to meet the nutritional needs of a growing world population. Deploying the Ocean Ark away from marine heatwaves, algae blooms and storms - all causing strain on aquaculture production - would produce higher quality protein and increase world fish production without increasing pressures on fish stocks and coastal habitats.

With its capacity of 4,000 tonnes of biomass, this technology allows for the low-density production of healthier, higher-quality fish at lower costs than offshore, land-based and coastal aquaculture systems currently available. The Ocean Ark can operate near Asian, US and EU consumer markets to reduce transport emissions.

RINA Marine Principal Engineer for North West Europe, Patrizio Di Francesco said: 'Sustainability is a core strategic pillar at RINA, but this is not just about reducing carbon emissions. A sustainable food production chain is also needed to supply an increasing global demand for nutrition. We believe aquaculture in the open sea is one solution that will help for the future.'

The fish-farming vessel is a self-propelled, AI-assisted, low emissions trimaran that is 170m long and 64m wide. With its artificial intelligence and self-cleaning fish cages made of copper, the vessel ensures fish health and welfare and are high.

'This is an unusual vessel. Its AiP presents a milestone for both the fish farming industry and for the classification of ships with an unconventional design. It is an innovative approach to the sustainable harvesting of fish to help ensure food security and sovereignty and one which may revolutionise fish farming for the future,' Di Francesco concluded.

For more information about RINA click, HERE.

Image credit: RINA

Consortium of companies to tackle digital transformation of fish farms

An international consortium has begun a pioneering €1.3 million (£1.11 million) pilot project, 'Aquaculture Insights' in Badcall, Scotland, that will accelerate the aquaculture sector's digital transformation and support the drive towards enhanced sustainability, productivity, and operational efficiency on fish farms.

Led by Japan's Uhuru United, the consortium includes Amsterdam-listed Signify; Norway's Optoscale AS; the Scotland-based Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC); salmon producer Loch Duart Ltd.; and SB Telecom Europe Ltd. With their combined efforts, the group is creating an 'open data' software platform that will provide a single point for fish farmers to interact with and understand the data produced by the variety of technologies being used on their sites.

Over the last 20 years, there has been significant growth in the number and diversity of technology used in aquaculture – ranging from fish health diagnostic tools to remotely operated underwater vehicles (ROVs). However, the vast majority tend to work in isolation, which limits the value of data that can be taken and increases the amount of time required to monitor operations.

The pilot project will tackle this challenge by creating a single software package combining multiple data sources, offering insights that cannot be provided by existing systems. The initiative will also enhance the visualisation and transfer of data from connected devices and systems, beginning with Signify's underwater LED lighting system and Optoscale's AI-enabled biomass camera.

Aquaculture Insights is receiving funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), which is part of the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme.

Yosuke Kurihara, Project Director of Uhuru United Ltd., said: 'We are delighted to be leading the consortium on this important and ground-breaking project. We first established operations in the UK not just because it is a global centre for technological development but also because of its leading credentials in the field of sustainability. As such, this project is a perfect fit, using cutting-edge IoT technologies to best understand how we can maximise the efficiency of food production for a more sustainable future.'

Heather Jones, CEO of SAIC, said: 'Better access to insightful data could be transformative for aquaculture, helping the sector to be more efficient and sustainable, while also helping fish farmers to develop new ways of working. Aquaculture Insights could have significant potential for aquaculture, supporting its sustainable growth ambitions, which need to be underpinned by technological innovation and excellence. We were delighted to help secure Loch Duart as the farming partner for real-world trials of this innovative technology.'

Sven Kolsto, CEO of Optoscale AS, added: 'Joining this project is very interesting to us – we get the chance to work alongside excellent partners and we get to showcase our unique product used in combination with other innovative solutions. We look forward to learning what value we are able to provide to the aquaculture sector, together with our partners in the consortium.'

Find out more about the project, HERE.

Image credit: Aquaculture Consortium