Manolin's new data integrations

Manolin announced their real-time data integrations with PatoGen, Cognite and Meox, adding to their list of current integrations which includes the companies AKVA group, BarentsWatch, ScaleAQ, and others. Manolin, a software company aiding fish health, provides a data management platform in order to ensure fish farmers have all the information and factors at their disposal to make decisions about fish health and welfare.

Manolin offers one dashboard for fish farmers which enables them to track test results, environmental factors, production outcomes, sensor data, and others. In doing so, Manolin creates a "unique fish health profile", it explained in a press release dated the 26th January, 2022, which provides key decision-making on farm performance, product and provider choices, and risk factors related to diseases, mortality, and so on.

"The ability to find lab results, environmental information, and farm data in one place has great potential to improve our production," Andreas Skagøy, the Fish Health Manager Måsøval Fiskeoppdrett explained. "With this, our team can optimise efficiency, more accurately assess risk, and improve our fish welfare. These open and connected data systems can allow more farmers—and the industry—to improve their strategies with better tools."

Image credit: Manolin

 

"Farmers today need to manage information from many different sources in order to make the best decisions. We're excited to be adding more integrations that will make data accessible throughout the organisation but also identify the risk factors contributing to each farmer's unique fish health profile. For example, which conditions are leading to more disease, mortality events, or ineffective lice treatments," John Costantino, the Co-Founder and CTO of Manolin, remarked.

Manolin have been utilising their platform to assist the aquaculture sector with becoming more sustainable, as companies look to ways to measure their sustainability and improve practices – and can do so by monitoring and tracking their changes over a period of time.

For more information on Manolin visit their website, HERE.

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Funding for collaborative vaccine project

Benchmark Animal Health and Cermaq Group have received funding from the Research Council of Norway for the development of a novel vaccine for salmon. Benchmark develops biotechnology to improve animal health and welfare, and will be working together with Cermaq, a leading salmon and trout producer.

"The funding from the Research Council of Norway enables Benchmark and Cermaq to undertake important research evaluating and optimising novel vaccines against Tenacibaculumbacteria," Cermaq said in a press release dated the 11th January, 2022.

The funding was given in a total sum of NOK 4.2 million, to support their collaborative project in developing a Tenacibaculum vaccine, to combat the diseases caused by the Tenacibaculum bacteria. In 2020, the Tenacibaculum bacteria was reported by the Norwegian Veterinary Institute to be considered the fifth most important cause of mortality in salmon. These diseases include mouthrot and tenacibaculosis, both of which can lead to increased mortality, reduced quality at harvest and the need for antibiotic treatments, resulting in economic losses. The success of a developed vaccine would provide great benefit for the aquaculture sector.

Image credit: Cerma

The collaborative project between Benchmark and Cermaq combines their experience of biotechnology and fish health, along with Cermaq's own research onto Tenacibaculum bacteria. The two aims of the project are to reduce the need for antibiotic use in treating both diseases, and to reduce production costs by reducing antibiotic treatments and reducing mortalities. From Cermaq, the project will be led by Ph.D. Sverre Småge and the researchers Cecilie Isachsen Lie and Helene Velle Mayer. From Benchmark, this will be Sarah Barker and Sindrew Rosenlund, with researchers Claire Stanley, Fiona Tulloch and Matthias Winkle.

Sarah Barker, the Senior Research Scientist at Benchmark said of the project: "The research team at Benchmark Animal Health are delighted to receive this recognition from the Research Council of Norway. We are looking forward to working on this important project in collaboration with our partner Cermaq Group AS, supporting our mission to achieve the highest standards of fish welfare and support the sustainable growth of the aquaculture industry."

Olai Einen, the Global Head of Feed and Fish Health Research at Cermaq concluded: "Preventive fish health is always the best option, and Cermaq invest much in preventive fish health ... This joint project with Benchmark Animal Health is a great opportunity to succeed in developing an effective vaccine against the Tenacibaculum bacteria, and hence is important for salmon farming."

For more information on Benchmark Animal Health visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Cermaq visit their website, HERE.

Grieg Seafood signs agreement with Optoscale

Grieg Seafood BC and Optoscale have entered into an agreement where Optoscale will provide nine camera sensor units for use at its farms along the east and west coast of Vancouver Island, Grieg announced in a press release dated the 10th December, 2021.

On the benefit of the cameras for Grieg's farms, it was explained that 'the units provide real-time insight and data regarding the performance and growth of farmed salmon populations, which up until now, has only been available to this degree of accuracy after harvesting of the farm has been completed.'

Two of the nine cameras have the Welfare Module and the Standard Biomass Module enabled, the latter of which is used to identify the weight of the fish. The former identifies and monitors wounds, maturation, fin damage and scale-loss between individual fish.

"We started trialing the cameras at one of our farms this past summer, and have been pleased with the real-time data the system provides, which in turn, has allowed for better decision making by our farmers in regard to feeding, harvest schedules and biomass estimation," said Rocky Boschman, Managing Director for Grieg Seafood BC Ltd. "By allowing us to measure the actual size of the fish to a 98 per cent accuracy, we can now use that information to determine if we are over or underfeeding our fish – something we had previously only been able to calculate after the entire pen had been harvested."

Image credit: Grieg Seafood

He also added that overfeeding affects the environment and Grieg's sustainability targets, owing to the carbon contribution of the production of feed. 'By feeding more efficiently, we will help to reduce accidental overfeeding, lower our carbon footprint and help to support the growth and performance of our fish.'

Optoscale, a technology company based in Norway which delivers sensors and software to monitor fish health and welfare, expressed its excitement about the agreement.

"We are excited to be working with Grieg Seafood BC Ltd., and look forward to helping them achieve improved sustainability, high feed conversations ratios – commonly known as FCRs, and supporting the overall improved health, performance and welfare of the fish," Sven Kolstø, the CEO of OptoScale, said.

For more information on Grieg Seafood visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Optoscale visit their website, HERE.

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Merger to combine FiiZK and Ecomerden's experience

FiiZK, a developer of digitaal integration platforms for the aquaculture sector, has merged with Ecomerden, it announced in a press release from today. Both companies are involved with developing and delivering semi-closed cage systems, as Ecomerden develops closed containment systems designed to create safe, healthy environments for farmed fish.

The integration of these companies will "strengthen delivery capacity at the same time as we accelerate further development of design and functionality," Torstein Rønning, the general manager of Fiizk, explained.

Jan Erik Kyrkjebø, the general manager of Ecomerden, said that he looked forward to bringing both his employees and technology into a larger company and to strengthen the opportunities available for Ecomerden's solutions.

From left: Jan Erik Kyrkjebø & Torstein Rønning

The press release concluded by saying, "The integration of the companies has already begun to ensure a successful and efficient merger process with customers and suppliers."

Both companies have celebrated recent opportunities and success, as Fiizk announced in the days leading up to Christmas it had agreed the delivery of closed cages to a number of companies, included Osland Havbruk, Hiddenfjord and Pure Norwegian Seafood. They also detailed having sold more than one thousand lice skirts internationally.

Ecomerden said in September of last year that the launch of their semi-closed cage, the third in the series Ecomerden R20, had been sent to a fish farm site in Fensfjorden, Norway. It also announced the delivery of major projects following the Aqua Nor conference, in August 2021.

For more information on FiiZK visit their website, HERE.

For more information on Ecomerden visit their website, HERE.

Image credit: FiiZK

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Allan Ødegård hired as Vice President Sales for Blue Ocean Technology

Blue Ocean Technology, supplying the aquaculture sector with sludge treatment systems along the Norwegian coastline, are bringing in new personnel. Allan Ødegård has been hired as Vice President Sales and will be responsible for the company's sales organisation.

Allan previously worked as Segment Leader Aquaculture at Schneider Electric and was responsible for putting Schneider on the map. He has also worked as a product manager in charge of uw-cameras and sensors.

With an education in sales and marketing coupled with a long career in technical sales, Allan's portfolio also boasts broad international experience and a substantial network.

Allan Ødegård

On hiring Allan, Hans Runshaug, the CEO of Blue Ocean Technology said: "Allan is a dream-hire for us. His background and personality is an excellent match for Blue Ocean. We have a shared vision of making a difference for an industry moving towards more contained aquaculture, with a stronger focus on circular economy, total waste management control and digitalisation."

Blue Ocean Technology's system's primary applications are in hatcheries, post-smolt facilities and closed fish farms.

To find out more information about Blue Ocean Technology visit their website, HERE.

Image credit: Blue Ocean Technology

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Patented EC technology able to reduce nitrites without a biofilter

Responsible for developing and patenting the first contained, recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facilities to produce Pacific white shrimp, NaturalShrimp announced yesterday that they'd discovered their electrocoagulation (EC) technology is capable of reducing nitrites without the use of a biofilter in a RAS system.  

This discovery proves important, as in a RAS system, 'the filtration system must continually remove ammonia to effectively treat water and hold production tonnages of stock,' NaturalShrimp explained in a press release dated the 6^th January, 2022.

The EC technology comes into play by being able to remove ammonia from a RAS before the ammonia is converted into nitrites and is able to reduce nitrites without the typical installation of a biofilter.

Thomas Untermeyer, the CTO and COO of NaturalShrimp explained further: "This discovery makes our Vibrio Suppression Technology, which utilizes EC as part of the filtration loop, even more useful for any RAS suffering from a build-up of ammonia and nitrites."

 

Image credit: CC by 2.0

NaturalShrimp began rearing their shrimp with biofloc technology, which refers to a way of improving water quality in marine farming through balancing carbon and nitrogen. It switched to vibrio suppression technology in 2014 owing to major problems invited by biofloc technology, such as failures to control parasites, bacteria and viruses.

"Our portfolio of technologies is quickly proving its ability to allow complete environmental control for aquaculture production,' Mr Untermeyer added. 'We look forward to sharing additional results and opportunities for our technology as we continue to focus on scaling production of our land-based gourmet-grade shrimp."

NaturalShrimp recently announced construction of a new production facility in Texas, with planned expansion in Florida and Nevada, to serve additional markets. This includes a 480,000 square foot shrimp production facility with construction to begin in the last quarter of 2022.

For more information on NaturalShrimp visit their website, HERE.

Collaboration to create pen from recycled materials

AKVA group, together with Plasto and Oceanize, will be creating the world's first pen composed of recycled materials, it announced in a press release dated from the 20^th December, 2021. 

"The entire pen will now be composed of recycled materials in a development project that has just been allocated funds from the Norwegian Retailer´s Environment Fund (Handelens Miljøfond). The Norwegian Retailer's Environment Fund supports projects that aim to increase the use of recycled plastic resources," AKVA group said. 

Citing requirements for material quality regulated by a technical standard (NS 9415), primarily new plastic is used in load-bearing structures in the pens. By creating a pen composed of recycled materials, the companies are proving that recycled plastic from discarded aquaculture facilities have the qualities to meet these requirements. 

AKVA group has already utilised recycled plastic in the pen walkways, but the project aims to make it possible to produce the entire pen from these materials. 

Image credit: AKVA group

 
"The project is a major circular economic milestone," Trude Vareide-Giskås, the Project Manager of Oceanize, said. "Now we get the opportunity to show the qualities of our plastic granulate. At the same time, complete solutions like these are central in a sustainability perspective." 

Oceanize has experience in collecting and recycling plastic discarded in aquaculture, which is well-needed in an industry that generates around 12,000 tonnes of plastic waste a year. By recycling or reusing this waste, it helps to reduce the plastic that is incinerated and produces up to 50 million kilograms of CO².  

Helgeland Plast, a subsidiary of AKVA group, produces the pens in Mo i Rana, Norway, while Oceanize collects pens along the entire Norwegian coast and has a granulation factory in Rørvik, and Plasto produces parts for the pens in Åndalsnes. 

"Pens today are not a big litter problem, but there is a great potential for using the plastic in new pens. In this project we will achieve short, national value chains as the project participants are all established in Norway," Trude Olafsen concluded. 

For more information on AKVA group visit their website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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Biogears project developing bio-based ropes for sustainable aquaculture

In order to establish a blue economy or ensure more sustainable utilisation of ocean resources, offshore aquaculture presents itself as a viable opportunity. In offshore mussel farms, for example, mussels are produced on long ropes which are held underwater. 

"These ropes, however, are made from plastic, threatening marine ecosystems, if discarded or not disposed of correctly … As the aquaculture sector experiences increasing demand, more ropes are needed," the EU's Maritime department explained in a press release dated the 22nd December, 2021. 

To meet increasing demand whilst ensuring the absence of plastic or non-sustainable material in ropes, the EU-funded Biogears project strives to provide innovative, bio-based ropes that contribute to the blue economy within aquaculture. It was launched in 2019 and develops various prototypes of bio-based ropes for mussel and seaweed production. 

The project has, so far, produced compostable plastics made up of natural components derived from renewable biomass. It aims to obtain a kind of plastic that does not decompose when at sea but is compostable, when it is no longer of use. The ropes developed by Biogears are tested at sea under various environmental conditions. It assesses a number of sustainable factors: technical, environmental and economic, as well as its degradability and the composting conditions.

Image credit: EU Ocean and Fisheries

 
Biogears has assisted with understanding the type and extent of marine litter produced by aquaculture and their impacts on the marine environment, as well as measuring the impact of plastic ropes in the production and quality of mussel yields. 

"From the first industrial prototyping trials, we now know that it is possible to manufacture bio-gears as an innovative solution for an eco-friendly offshore aquaculture sector in Europe. It is exciting to see that we are making the change possible," explained Leire Arantzamendi, the project coordinator. 

Outside of the project the bio-based ropes are capable of being adapted for aquaculture and fisheries' needs. Its objectives incorporate a positive impact on aquaculture's sustainability through the development of eco-friendly ropes and aquaculture production; a positive economic impact through supporting a circular economy; and a societal impact by supporting public policy to reduce marine litter, create new employment opportunities and promote responsible production and consumption. 

The EU-funded project follows the EU's vision of a sustainable blue economy under the European Green Deal, and contributes to European policies on plastics and microplastics. 

For more information on Biogears visit their website, HERE.