There are many questions when breeders must ensure both fish welfare, quality and sound economy. How do you know which pen to slaughter when? Is the proportion of superior increasing or decreasing? What is the reason for the fish being downgraded? Is there anything you can do to reduce downgrading?
“These are among some of the questions we have been working on in recent years”, says Anita Nielsen, Insight Manager at Aquabyte. “Our experience is that many and important synergies are created for both industry, society and us as technology developers, when we are able to be present and ensure a continuous dialogue. We have now developed access to continuous daily insight, where we combine welfare scoring and weight measurements, and thus can deliver knowledge to you about expected harvest quality”.
Exciting backdrop, but grim mortality figures
The world’s population is likely to eat twice as much seafood by 2050 compared to 2015. According to one study, scientists predict an 80% increase in global fish consumption by mid-century.
At the same time, one in six farmed fish dies before it reaches the dinner table. This is shown by a new report from the Veterinary Institute. In Norwegian waters, the mortality rate for salmon was 16.1% in 2022 – an increase from 2020 and 2021. According to the Research Council of Norway, the report also shows that costs related to diseases have increased and exceeded the costs of feeding.
Newly developed report provides knowledge for optimal value extracting from each harvest
Aquabyte’s new tool, a harvest report with quality grading, gives you knowledge, to compare between facilities, and target the best price. The content documents what actual value the pen represents, and what you must consider if things need to be adjusted. For example, data that differentiates the reasons why the fish must be downgraded. It can both be wounds, deformities or maturation, etc, so optimal processing can be planned ahead.
In short, it summarizes in a clear way how the categories superior, ordinary and production fish are distributed in the pen, in addition to the various weight classes.
Why is this a valuable product for the customers?
«Being able to know for certain what percentage fish by weight bucket is superior, means no surprises when the slaughter starts, and thus, sales contracts and commitments can be reliably predicted. Knowing accurate averaged weight and weight distribution allows for better planning on how and where the fish will be sold: whether as whole fish or filets to Europe, Asia, or the Americas”, says Chief Product Officer at Aquabyte, Amory Wakefield. “We have given this report to customers, all with very good results.”
What problems does this product solve?
«Often sales is making deals to sell fish without reliable knowledge of what fish are available. The production and harvest planning teams can be surprised about the percentage superior or real weight distribution once processing starts. If there are less superior or incorrect weights, sales may need to renegotiate, often at lower prices to sell the slaughtered fish. With Aquabyte’s Harvest Report, this is much more predictable, minimizing disruption in the harvest to sales process”, says Wakefield.
