Page 28 - Vol.39-No.8 issue

FISHERIES

AQUATICODE’S GENDER SORTING SOLUTION HAS

ACHIEVED BREAKTHROUGH RESULTS AT CAMANCHACA.

Our innovative system, the SORTpro, is By automating this procedure, we not only Addressing the importance of smolt
designed to categorize up to 10,000 juve- enhances flexibility, efficiency, and accuracy quality in fish welfare and performance,
nile salmon per hour based on gender and but also extends gender sorting capabilities Stian Rognlid expresses ambitions beyond
other performance traits. The AI-powered to regions where high labour costs previ- solution’s current capabilities. “The SORT-
solution officially launches for production ously prohibited such practices. pro is a platform. In the near to medium
after having been assessed over time and at “Camanchaca, who historically sorts term, we will introduce functionality to
scale by Salmones Camanchaca, achieving around 15 million fish per year, have giv- identify additional fish growth, health,
a verified gender classification accuracy en us invaluable support in bringing our and robustness traits. Each of these will
exceeding 97% – and no increase in mor- solution to the market. We appreciate bring significant value to farmers, but we
tality rates. truly believe that the sum is even greater
their openness in sharing their facilities
and expertise with us,” states Stian Rog- than the parts.”
nlid, Aquaticode’s CEO. Founded in 2018 and backed by Nacre
Our R&D efforts at Camanchaca, dating Capital, a venture builder focused on AI in
back to 2021, originally began with the the life sciences, Aquaticode raised a USD
development of an early proof-of-concept 6 million Series A in 2022. Their advisory
alongside the manual sorting process. Over board includes notable figures in aquacul-
the years, Camanchaca’s contributions ture, such as former Cargill Aqua Nutrition
have led to highly accurate classifications CEO Einar Wathne.
not only in gender but also in early sexual “It was easy to get behind Aquaticode’s
maturation and deformities. mission,” reflects Einar Wathne, now Chair-
“Innovation is central to our strategy at man at the NCE Seafood Innovation Cluster.
Manual ultrasound operators currently Camanchaca,” explains Carlos Soto, Head of “Making decisions based on individual fish
analysis and acting in real-time is the fu-
sort around 100 million fish annually in R&D. “Artificial intelligence is emerging as ture of salmon farming. It’s about growing
Chile. This approach has proven to pro- one of the most promising megatrends in better fish as well as growing fish better.”
mote faster growth in both male and fe- food production. We are quick to support
male batches compared to mixed groups. initiatives that can lead to more efficient
and sustainable salmon farming.”
Circle 38 on enquiry card
CERMAQ NORWAY USES LASER AGAINST SALMON LICE

Laser has proven to be effective against around 140 lasers will be installed. Cermaq
salmon lice and gentle on the salmon. After will continue to evaluate the effect of the
extensive evaluation at Cermaq in Finnmark lasers. There will be a separate team of
and at Ballangen in Nordland, lasers will be laser operators who will ensure optimal
put into use at suitable facilities in Nordland placement and operation of the lasers, and
and Finnmark. the team will be associated with Cermaq's
The fish lasers are now used by many growth center in Nordfold. An important
salmon farmers and currently monitor and part of this task will be to further develop
protect more than 50 million salmon and our procedures so that we achieve best
trout around the clock. practice and the best possible result from control where we farm. In addition to lasers,
using lasers. Cermaq today uses measures such as sub-
“Lice lasers have been shown to keep mersible cages, tube nuts, deep lice skirts
lice levels down. We can then avoid many "The laser nodes also come with ad- and deep feeding as preventive measures
mechanical delousing measures and thus vanced monitoring of the level of lice and against lice.
we avoid stressing the fish leaving them fish welfare, so that the sea sites will get a
swimming in peace and quiet. Cermaq's good insight into the development of lice The light lasers are produced by Stingray
goal is to control the level of lice to the and the health of the fish. Thus, we believe Marine Solutions and managing director
greatest extent possible with preventive the use of lice lasers is the right step in John A. Breivik is very pleased to expand
technology and laser is one of several terms of ensuring both fish welfare and the collaboration significantly in the future.
measures that we now want to increase the most sustainable production possible," "This is a new and important milestone
the use of to ensure the best possible fish says Karl Fredrik Ottem. for us at Stingray, where we have already
welfare," says Karl Fredrik Ottem, head of Salmon lice are a challenge for the en- gained important experience for a couple
fish health in Cermaq Norway. tire industry, and it is important to have of years and have been able to develop a
It is the sea sites Veggfjell and Svartfjell multiple tools in the toolbox to control sea good collaboration with Cermaq and good
people at the sea sited, at a world-leading
that will install lasers over the next few lice. Cermaq is concerned with identify-
weeks, and lasers will be installed at several ing and adopting the right preventive lice farming company, both when it comes to
sea sites in the months to come. In total, technology for each individual location so fish welfare and sustainability » he con-
that we achieve the best possible biological cludes.
26 Vol. 39 No. 8
Circle 39 on enquiry card