July 30, 2019

Skretting combines intelligent tools to deliver solutions for aquaculture
 

Remote-controlled underwater vehicles (ROVs) are contributing to Skretting's services to customers, the company said recently.

These vehicles, according to Skretting, allow instantaneous monitoring of different environmental parameters, such as temperature and oxygen levels of water at different depths, in order to detect anomalies in advance and consequently develop an early response that will prevent losses in water.

The most recent addition to the company's service offering is a project with Nido Robotics, a tech company based in the Science Park of Murcia, Spain. This development was announced recently in Lorca, Spain during a meeting with producers of seabass and sea bream in fish farms.

Skretting's ROVs will produce underwater recordings of high resolution digital video. In the meanwhile, Skretting Spain is currently employing drone services for aerial inspection.

"This service is mainly focused on optimising the feeding process, but it will also allow us to detect possible pathologies or anomalous situations in the farms, and to alert the client to enable an early response to an potential challenge" said Juan Antonio González, models and services manager for Skretting Southern Europe.

The use of this technology in Spain is another step forward after the successful implementation of ROVs and drones in Chile.

"We regularly use drones to clarify specific questions, and cross check information regarding appetite or FCR (feed conversion rate)," said Rodrigo González, information product manager for Skretting Chile. "The ROVs that we use analyse behaviour inside pens and feeding shoals to detect any anomalies in fish behaviour. This means that we can offer relevant information to our customers in a timely way. We currently work with 12 customers using ocean pens."

"We expect ROVs to become a key part of our AquaSim services, combining biology, quality and economy to develop diets or production models according to each fish," said Kristoffer Tveit, Skretting's international product manager. "Data provided by ROVs, aerial drones and submarine drones are fundamental to shaping growth and forecast models, since they will be supported in the surrounding conditions and in the cost-benefit evaluations of the different farming situations."

Tveit added: "Although the acquisition and use of common technology is not necessarily an achievement, the added value lies in the ability to deliver a correct reading of data that allows us to provide comprehensive advice to our customers."

Skretting is committed to leading digitalisation of the aquaculture industry, using a combination of investment and existing tools to optimise farming production and product efficiency, the company said.

"Beyond any commercial strategy and the use of cutting edge technologies, what we deliver is the commitment and constant support that allows our customers to execute the best feed and health strategies, in a sustainable way," Tveit commented.

- Skretting