SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector.
- Nofitech and Hardingsmolt have signed a contract for a new post-smolt module in Tørvikbygd, Norway.
Nofitech produces recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) equipment and has developed the “ModulRAS,” a complete module that can be installed for smolt, post-smolt, grow-out, and broodstock operations.
Hardingsmolt plans to expand its facility with a 13,800-cubic-meter tank for brackish water operations. After the expansion, the company said it will have a total production capacity of 4.2 million postsmolt weighing 1 kilogram each.
“We have very good experiences as a customer of Nofitech, and in recent years, we have fine-tuned our production to deliver high-quality seawater-adapted smolt with systems built by Nofitech,” Hardingsmolt General Manager Frode Sandven said. “They deliver a standardized and efficient concept while being receptive to improvements. Although we have had the opportunity to produce large smolt for several years, this construction phase is crucial for scaling up our production.”
Construction on the new module will begin in fall 2024, to be operational by summer 2026, Nofitech said.
“We are proud of the trust Hardingsmolt shows us as a partner by choosing us and our cost-effective and compact ModulRAS concept for the third time, as they now increase their land-based production of postsmolt,” Nofitech CEO Robert Hundstad said.
- Denmark-headquartered processing equipment manufacturer Carsoe has launched a new add-on for vertical plate freezers for shrimp it has dubbed the “Product Compactor.”
The company said the new piece of equipment automates processes involved in compacting shrimp in vertical plate freezers, which it said will increase block quality and allow production to run continuously.
“The consistent pressure of the Product Compactor offers optimized water content in each block, which is critical in achieving stronger and more uniform blocks,” the company said. “The block quality is enhanced further by an adjustable pressure setting that ensures the precise amount of compression. In the initial compaction, the shrimps are compacted leaving room for a top-off with additional shrimp. A second press is then performed to achieve a fully compact block.”
The company said the product also alleviates physical strain from processing operators, improving working conditions while improving efficiency.
- Salmon company Multi X has tapped Bioelements Group, a sustainable packaging company, to supply a new biodegradable, compostable packaging solution for its salmon products.
Multi X will use Bioelements' bio-based packaging products to replace all of the bags that it uses to package its fresh salmon fillets. Multi X said it will equate to 35 percent of its annual production, and will help the company reduce its use of plastic products.
“It is a biodegradable alternative that will generate a positive impact on the environment. Bioelements bags maintain the same mechanical, barrier and performance characteristics as conventional materials,” Bioelements CEO Ignacio Parada said. “This alternative will allow Multi X to offer its clients an alternative that helps stop pollution due to waste accumulation. People are increasingly demanding that companies take charge of environmental challenges and this project will undoubtedly add value to the brand within the industry and open the doors to continue developing joint projects.”
Multi X Supply Manager Daniel Santa Cruz said the packaging performed well throughout Multi X’s trials, and then biodegraded successfully within the time frame Bioelements established.
“We were pleased with our test results of the Bioelements technology and they concluded successfully,” he said. “We are excited about implementing the new packaging and working with Bioelements for additional solutions to address the plastic packaging issue.”
- Mowi Scotland has delivered Sea-Cap feed barges, refurbished by Gael Force Group, to its Loch Etive facility as part of the company’s push to consolidate from four farms down to three.
Mowi Scotland said three Sea-Cap barges will be used to remotely feed salmon at the Loch Etive facility. Another two refurbished barges will be available for Mowi’s operations in Ireland. Each barge is being refurbished into low-profile hybrid barges that reduce carbon emissions, and also reduce Mowi’s operating costs by GBP 4 million (USD 5.2 million, EUR 4.7 million) each year.
The barges will also improve the visual appearance of the farms, Mowi said.
“Upon consultation to gauge the views of the communities surrounding Loch Etive, residents were largely supportive of the changes to lower profile equipment and hybrid battery barges,” Mowi Area Manager Clara MacGhee said. “Some fairly stated that farming operations could be tidier, so this shift is an important step to reduce the impact on the surrounding area.”
Gael Force Group Managing Director Stewart Graham said the refurbishing process offers a solution for companies looking to get more use out of older equipment.
“We were challenged some years ago with how we may deal with end-of-life small concrete barges – whether to fully dismantle, decommission, or repurpose – and we came up with the lowest impact idea to upcycle the Sea-Cap feed barges to unmanned low profile feeding units,” Graham said. “With the advances in technology and barges now being able to be remotely operated from feed control centers, it became clear that there was a potential large sustainability and economic upside to upcycling the barges. We reconfigured the designs, removing the superstructure thereby lowering the profile and the visual impact, fitted new up-to-date Gael Force SeaFeed systems and hybrid power solutions.”
- Research from the University of New Hampshire has determined lighting solutions can be used to modify the behavior of lumpfish – which could benefit the salmon aquaculture industry.
Lumpfish are used as a solution for sea lice on salmon farms. A cleaner fish, lumpfish will eat the sea lice off of salmon, but the species can also be aggressive toward younger lumpfish, reducing the effectiveness of stocking lumpfish alongside salmon.
Researchers with UNH found that altering light conditions and fish densities inside tanks can modify lumpfish behavior, which could help salmon farmers use the species as a sea lice solution.
"Lumpfish are crucial in addressing the high demand for cleaner fish in salmonid farming, but their aggressive behavior, including cannibalism, poses a challenge," UNH College of Life Sciences and Agriculture Research Associate Professor Elizabeth Fairchild said. "Understanding the factors that exacerbate lumpfish aggression, and providing guidelines for mitigating this behavior to aquaculturists, are essential for increasing hatchery production and rearing efficiency."
The new research could help improve lumpfish hatchery production and enhance their effectiveness, researchers said.
