Sustainable, cost-effective fish farming

Transcription

1 Sustainable, cost-effective fish farming

2 Sustainable aquaculture in semi-closed fish cages Aquafarm Equipment aims to solve some of the biggest challenges faced by modern aquaculture industry. Our ambition has been to develop a cost-effective, semi-closed fish cage that prevents the escape of fish, drastically reduces the risk of salmon louse, and reduces the release of organic nutrients and waste into the surrounding environment. The result is Neptune. Developed and thoroughly tested in close cooperation with Marintek, our innovative fish-cage concept has been certified according to NS 9415:2009 and Nytek. For the past two years, we have worked closely with Marine Harvest to carry out a full-scale test of our semi-closed fish cage for post-smolt fish and the results are very promising. Together, we have fine-tuned and perfected our post-smolt facilities. Today we re taking the next step. Aquafarm Equipment hereby proudly introduces our fully-integrated concept for the production of both brood fish and market-ready fish.

3 Test results The promising results of Marine Harvest s tests of our post-smolt facility speaks for themselves: Feed factor: 0.85 Low mortality: < 0.5 % No need for de-lousing Zero escapees No disease registered Growth: 118 g 1.2 kg in 6 months Organic waste: % is collected Organic waste is a resource! Whereas organic waste from open fish cages presently flows into the sea, Aquafarm Equipment believes this is a valuable resource that should reclaimed and used. We are currently improving our collection system and aim to collect percent of organic waste. Organic waste from fish farms has many uses, and additional ones are being explored: fertiliser and soil improvement supplement bio-gas production production of concrete extraction and recycling of phosphorus Moreover, all uncomsumed fish-pellets are collected and recycled.

4 Healthier fish Closed facilities have numerous advantages that have a positive impact on fish health. In Aquafarm Equipment s design, water is piped in from a depth of 30 metres where there are few if any salmon louse. Our third-generation fish cage has the option of UV-treatment of the intake water. The de-lousing process subjects the fish to considerable stress. Our fish-cage concept virtually eliminates the need for mechanical handling of the fish, as well as the need for chemicals. This is clearly beneficial to fish health. No need for chemicals No need for mechanical handling of fish Superior control of water quality: oxygenation and ph level Dramatic lower stress levels More stable water temperatures, which result in increased feed uptake Water currents can be adapted to the size of the fish Strong currents help fish develop musculature, increasing its quality Increased resistance to disease As a result of these factors, mortality is extremely low less than 0.5 %.

5 Improved economy With our floating fish cages, the cost of pumping in water is kept to a minimum. While open fish cages require considerable money to be spent on de-lousing and disease prevention, these costs are eliminated with our semi-closed fish-cage concept. Full-scale tests confirm the substantial economic benefits for fish-farming facility s bottom line. Total production costs per kilo are lower than in open fish cages Low investment costs compared to land-based facilities Reduced energy consumption Excellent rates for feed uptake More rapid fish growth and shorter production time Lower mortality Organic waste reclaimed as a resource Fish cages that have a long lifespan The expected lifespan of Aquafarm Equipment s fish cage is 20 years. As a result, amortised costs are drastically lowered, with considerable environmental benefits.

6 A good, safe working environment Ensuring a safe and effective working environment has been priority throughout the development of our fully-integrated system. Even though safety within the aquaculture industry has been improving, we firmly believe it can be improved further. For instance, ensuring the safety of personnel on plastic fish-cage walkways can be a challenge. Aquafarm Equipment s elimination of the problem of organic waste will allow placement of fish-farming facilities in more sheltered areas of our coast. This shortens the employee commute, lessens the challenges of accessing facilities in bad weather, and achieves a much safer working environment. A stable and secure work platform Plenty of space for equipment storage Safe access by boat All infrastructure on a single platform

7 Aquafarm Equipment AS Kvalamarka 6 NO-5514 Haugesund Norway post@aquafarm.no