An ocean of possibility
There is little doubt as to why Norway is the largest salmon producer globally when you look at the tech being developed in the industry here. After attending some sessions at the One Ocean Week in Bergen, it became abundantly clear that what drives such advancement in this industry is the collaborative nature of all stakeholders from farmers and research centres, to tech suppliers and the government. Definitely something we all can learn from.
Ocean Farm 1, based off the coast of Central Norway, is developing and piloting a new way of farming salmon in open waters.
Image source Fish Farmer Magazine
One of the latest, and coolest, projects Norway has embarked on is Ocean Farm 1, the world’s first offshore salmon farm owned by SalMar Aker Ocean AS. Developed in 2017 and based off the coast of Central Norway, this large-scale open sea pilot facility has already had two successful production cycles, supplying around 10 000 tons of salmon to the market. This facility serves as an R&D centre for ushering in a new era of sustainable aquaculture, with significant focus on biology and animal welfare, aiming to reduce environmental impacts of offshore fish farming. The unique combination of offshore submersible technology and aquaculture farming boasts a 110 meter-wide semi-submerged cage, with a total height of 50 meters, and the capacity to hold an impressive 1.6 million fish. Albeit packaged with its own set of challenges, like escapees impacting wild stocks, offshore fish farming could be a gamechanger to the way we farm seafood.
Blue Lice’s trapping technology for dealing with sea lice in open sea cages.
Image source Blue Lice
One of the major issues afflicting the aquaculture industry is the high prevalence of sea lice. Sea lice release their eggs into the water column where they undergo their early larval stages, after which they find an amenable host to attach to. They hinder growth, adversely affect their salt balance, making them susceptible to secondary infections and disease. To date, the industry has relied on drugs, chemicals and delousing practices, like hot water treatment, to deal with the scourge of pesky infestations. With such a pressure, Norway has witnessed the evolution of more creative technologies. For instance, AI has enabled the development of lasers that scan individual fish and recognize parasites for elimination, without handling or moving fish. Other technologies to combat sea lice include electric fencing around salmon farms that generate electric pulses, as well as “mosquito net” traps that instinctively lure sea lice with attractants before containing them.
FishGLOBE’s impressive enclosed farming unit.
Image source FishGLOBE
To further tackle environmental challenges associated with coastal aquaculture, new ways of farming fish are being explored. Closed farming facilities offer solutions to issues related to fish escapes experienced in conventional farming, sea lice outbreaks, and adverse environmental impacts from farm waste. FishGLOBE has developed an entirely closed, mobile fish “pen”, which pumps seawater from 15 meters, below the sea lice “belt”, into the unit, while fish waste is collected and disposed of. This provides a secure and clean environment for farming fish, while limiting sea lice outbreaks.
Norway’s impressive creativity and innovation in aquaculture is buttressed by decades of experience, iteration, and cross-disciplinary collaboration between all sectors. The future of aquaculture is pretty bright with places like Norway at the proverbial helm.
