ReelData Inc has announced that they have agreed to a long-term partnership with Salmon Evolution ASA, to provide them with their ReelAppetite feeding software. This partnership will help Salmon Evolution autonomise their feeding process, resulting in a significant reduction in wasted feed, increased consumption and stabilised water quality.
Operations are set to begin in March. Salmon Evolution has also announced partnerships with Imenco for camera manufacturing and Cargill for feed production.
“Using artificial intelligence to make better decisions and to make the feeding of our salmon autonomous has been high on the agenda for us since we established Salmon Evolution. We found a promising solution with ReelData`s technology and dedicated team of experts. The conditions in land-based farming forms a basis for optimising the appetite and fish welfare, and enables us to be proactive to create the best possible conditions for our salmon to thrive in,” said Ingjarl Skarvøy, COO of Salmon Evolution.
The partnership comes days after Salmon Evolution successfully completed its first smolt release at its ground-breaking land-based facility on 26 March. The company has plans to produce 36,000 metric tonnes of salmon in Indre Harøy, on the Norwegian coastline.
“Since we started construction back in May 2020, this is the moment that we all have been waiting for. I am extremely proud of our organisation and the fact that we have been able to adhere to our ambitious timeline, even with the challenges faced us during the pandemic,” says Håkon André Berg, CEO of Salmon Evolution.
At the same time, this is just the beginning. As we now move forward, our number-one priority is the biology in our farm. Good biology will improve fish quality and translate into strong growth, which finally will be reflected in the financial performance. With our organisation now totalling more than 40 highly skilled employees, I am more confident than ever in our mission – extending the ocean potential”, says Berg.
About 100,000 smolt were released with an average weight of around 300 grams. The smolt was supplied by Kraft Laks, Salmon Evolution’s in-house smolt facility acquired in August 2021. The smolt transportation from Kraft Laks to Indre Harøy was carried out with a live fish carrier after which the fish were pumped into the first fish tank at Indre Harøy. All relevant fish health parameters were constantly monitored during the process with no negative indicators identified.
Following the positive confirmation of the fish transfer process and a customary short adaption period for the fish, initial feeding commenced. A news release from Salmon Evolution said that farm conditions have been stable, the fish have shown good appetite and have had a behaviour in line with expectations.
These developments, along with Salmon Evolution’s agreement with ReedData shows its commitment to partnering with tech innovators in the land-based salmon industry.
“We are incredibly proud to bring ReelAppetite to Salmon Evolution and their skilled team of fish farmers. We are excited to work hard on scaling their feeding as efficiently and effectively as possible,” Mathew Zimola, co-founder and CEO of ReelData AI said.
Over the coming months Salmon Evolution will gradually ramp up production at Indre Harøy with the next release of smolt planned already in May. Steady state smolt release volumes are expected from Q4 2022, where at the same time both completion of phase 1 and first harvest are expected.
