– For many in the farming industry, submerged pens are new. We have already been working on this for three years now. During this period, we have gained important experience about what is required, and what is needed to be successful when the pen is lowered to a depth of 30-40 meters, says Per Erik Hansen, Senior Solution Consultant at Aquabyte.
The aim is to get the fish away from the lice
– The aim of submerged pens is to avoid the fish being exposed to the upper water layers where the lice thrive. Then you cannot raise the cage every time fish are to be counted for lice, weighed or general welfare is to be assessed, says Per Erik Hansen.
Participated in submerged production since 2020
Already in 2020, Aquabyte was invited to take part in the first large-scale tests with submerged pens. The tests showed that the system works at least as well at depth as in normal surface production.
– The camera and machine learning system that we have developed and further developed since 2017 works very well in submerged pens. It provides good images of the fish, and delivers accurate data on lice numbers, weight and welfare. I can’t see how farmers will be able to use submerged pens without our technology, says Hansen.
The data will give you insight and decision support
With a submerged pens, you lose the daily relationship with the fish. The camera and the data that is extracted become your most important source of information when critical decisions have to be made during production.
– The Aquabyte system provides data with very high precision. But even more important is how the farmers use it. For us at Aquabyte, it is important to assist the farmers in this process. The information that the system provides about the fish should give better insight into the entire production and be act as support when important decisions that affect economy, fish welfare and sustainability are to be made, says Hansen.
Self-cleaning lenses and automatic winch
The costs and dangers of having to raise submerged pens are great. Therefore, minimal requirements for follow-up and maintenance of equipment are very important. Three years of experience have shown that the current Aquabyte solution already works very well in this area, but the aim is to make the system even easier to use in submerged pens.
– Self-cleaning lenses and automatic winch are two important innovations. The latter is already in place, and means that the camera’s position in the cage can be adjusted automatically. Self-cleaning camera lenses, which require minimal maintenance, are not far off. We are very proud of the solution we have come up with, and look forward to presenting it to the market, says Executive Vice President Engineering at Aquabyte, Darryl Weatherspoon.
