News Articles

November 21, 2024 – Aquaculture professional and well-known consultant to the fish farming industry, Øystein Michael Falch, recently adopted a contractor role with the land-based AI technology and software company ReelData. Focussing on Sales and Business Development within his home country, Norway, Øystein brings to ReelData more than 20 years of aquaculture experience, and a strong background in business development and finance.

Øystein Michael Falch

Effective from 1^st October 2024, Øystein will be working with the ReelData team to attract new customers and commercialise opportunities for the ReelData suite of tools including AI camera-based feeding efficiency, biomass estimation and fish counting. Gareth Butterfield, Commercial Director for ReelData had this to say about the appointment, “We’re thrilled to have Øystein join the team as a contractor for the Norwegian market. We’ve had some fantastic success in multiple geographies in the past several months but a missing link for us has been a physical representation in Norway and someone with strong sales, networking and leadership skills. Øystein fills that role perfectly.” With a history of working internationally for both cold and warm water fin-fish producers, Øystein is no stranger to working across continents in order to create an impact. And, with a skillset spanning financial analysis, planning and modelling, and development of strategies and business plans in addition to core sales competencies, Øystein is an obvious choice for the role. “The team here at ReelData are looking forward to working with Øystein and building upon an already growing client base by expanding into Norway. We’ve had significant communication with Norwegian producers and there’s a lot of excitement about our technology. By bringing Øystein on board, Norwegian customers of ReelData have a reputed and respected local resource on which they can rely.” continued Gareth.

Øystein commented on the new role, “What motivates me the most in any role is working for a greater purpose, something beyond personal gain. I strongly believe that technology has the power to drive meaningful improvements, and ReelData’s solutions offer real benefits for the aquaculture industry, including reducing environmental impact and lowering production costs. These are both essential to the sustainable growth of global aquaculture as we strive to feed a growing world population. That mission is what gets me excited every day! On top of that, I’ve been impressed by the talented team at ReelData, and I’m looking forward to being part of a group so dedicated to delivering exceptional products. I’m eager to join the journey and contribute to the company’s success.”

For more information, visit HERE.

The Aquaculturists

November 21, 2024 – Hybrid flow-through systems have the potential to transform the aquaculture industry and salmon farming in particular. According to a recent study by RaboResearch, the technology promises to enhance sustainability, boost salmon supply and improve biosecurity, addressing some of the industry’s most pressing challenges.

Hybrid flow-through systems technology improves biosecurity in aquaculture

Hybrid-flow-through systems (HFS) technology is emerging as a viable solution to help salmon farmers meet fast rising demand. It significantly reduces exposure to pathogens and environmental impacts, offering notable improvements in biosecurity and sustainability.

“The limitation of the current, marine cage-based industry is the inability to sufficiently grow supply. Despite being highly technically advances, Norwegian salmon farming experienced increasing levels of mortality in both 2023 and 2024,”notes Gorjan Nikolik, Senior Analyst – Seafood for RaboResearch. The cause was a combination of lice treatments, which have the side effect of reducing the protective layer on a salmon’s scales, and exposure to bacterial infections and jellyfish stings resulting from that eroded protective layer. HFS aquaculture is one of the alternatives that can change this situation materially. By moving farming into contained basins on the shore, it is possible to exclude most pathogens, such as lice, bacteria, algae and jellyfish. This minimises the need for medication, resulting in faster growth rates and better feed-conversion ratios. “Early data shows feed-conversion ratios of 1.1 on HFS farms compared to an industry average of 1.3. These results, combined with a survival rate of 97% compared to 83% for the net pen industry, suggesting that biological performance on HFS farms is superior,” explains Nikolik.

The economic benefits of hybrid flow-through systems are significant

The higher biosecurity of HFS leads to a higher percentage of superior-grade fish compared to traditional farming methods, resulting in higher prices. Additionally, HFS farms have a lower environmental footprint, as they do not release pathogens into the surrounding waters and have minimal risk of fish escapes. “Nitrogen levels will be greatly reduced with HFS technology, as the key sources of nitrogen from traditional farms are collected at the bottom of the tank and not released with the water exiting the farm,” notes Nikolik.

While HFS represent an improvement in biosecurity and sustainability due to their limited impact on the aquatic environment, they do come with an increase in energy consumption. Between one and eight kWh of energy is needed to produce one kilogram of HFS salmon, depending on the systems used. In contrast, the marine stage of traditional salmon farming has negligible energy use. “The bottom line is that the good price and the lower biological cost of production outweigh the higher energy cost and should lead to improved profitability,” states Nikolik. However, to make a real improvement in sustainability performance, HFS farms will need to be powered by sustainable sources of energy. “Fortunately, all the current projects we are aware of (if construction or planned) have renewable energy as a source.”

Capital and legislation are essential ingredients for success

Nevertheless, substantial capital investment and supportive legislation are crucial for the widespread adoption of HFS technology. Current projects in Norway and Iceland are leading the way, but expansion into other regions like Chile, the US and Canada will require significant financial backing and regulatory support.

“Our estimates are that the projects currently operating and under construction will need between €2 billion and €3 billion of capital between 2024 and 2030 for their existing plans,” notes Nikolik. A much higher amount will be needed if the large number of conceptual and permitted projects are to become reality. HFS technology has the potential to transform the salmon farming industry, provided that the necessary capital and legislative frameworks are in place.

High prices emerge as global salmon supply growth turns negative

For more information, contact Gorjan Nikolik, Senior Analyst – Seafood, RaboResearch Food & Agribusiness, Email gorjan.nikolik@rabobank.com

The Aquaculturists

Climate crisis, habitat loss and poaching have reduced its numbers – but will Trump put the kibosh on protections?

They are the tallest animal to roam the Earth and have become an icon of children’s books, toys and awed wildlife documentaries. But giraffes are in decline, which has prompted the US government to list them as endangered for the first time.

Giraffes will be listed under the US Endangered Species Act, the US Fish and Wildlife Service has proposed in a move that will cover five subspecies of the animal. The agency hopes the listing will crack down on the poaching of giraffes, as the US is a leading destination of rugs, pillowcases, boots, furniture and even Bible covers made from giraffe body parts.

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When you make yourself the weeds guy, and the word gets out that you’re the guy to go to when it comes to weeds, invitations and inquiries start coming your way. Usually it’s just someone asking you to identify a weed or telling you how much they despise a particular plant for its weedy behaviors. […]

Visitas: 0By INVE Aquaculture INVE Aquaculture, a global leader in aquaculture innovation, proudly wraps up its year of 40th-anniversary celebrations with the release of the commemorative video “From Pioneers to Leaders”. This video serves as the grand finale to a year of reflection and celebration, sharing the stories, insights, and dedication of the company’s leadership […]

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