Singapore-based aquaculture service provider Blue Aqua International has announced its intention to build a land-based trout farm, which the company said will be the first of its kind in the Southeast Asian nation.
The project is part of Blue Aqua’s plan to invest SGD 45 million (USD 33.2 million, EUR 29.3 million) in the aquaculture sector in Singapore, the company said in a statement. Prominent seafood financer Lighthouse Finance is an advisor of the planned project, which is in the process of raising funds for a phase-based commercial development over the next three years.
The farm is expected to produce 1,200 metric tons (MT) of rainbow trout per year to serve as a high-quality fish for consumers in Singapore. The project will use a proprietary recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) provided by Denmark-based Assentoft Aqua, a supplier of sustainable land-based RAS aquaculture technologies. Assentoft opened a subsidiary firm in Singapore in 2020.
Singapore has a plan to produce 30 percent of its food demand domestically by 2030. BAI said it will apply super-intensive technology and artificial intelligence (AI) to ensure sustainable fish production at the project as a way to support the country’s food security targets. The company is also considering collaborations with clean energy technology partners to develop green technology solutions for energy and carbon efficient urban farming operations in the project. Blue Aqua said once it establishes its farm in Singapore, it hopes to bring its RAS trout-farming system template to other countries in Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
“The future lies in sustainable, smart farming systems that are not bound by environmental constraints. Blue Aqua has been a strong advocate for super-intensive, species-focused farming since its inception, and we are excited to grow our efforts to develop a scalable aquaculture technology with farmed trout and shrimp to serve as an important and efficient protein food source for decades to come,” Blue Aqua CEO and Founder Farshad Shishehchian said in the release.
Blue Aqua has expertise in super-intensive shrimp farming, providing customers with solutions for health optimization and animal nutrition. The company currently serves more than 4,000 customers globally and runs its own shrimp farms in Singapore and Indonesia. In September 2021, it formed a partnership with VeChain Technology to apply blockchain traceability to its shrimp-farming operations. In April 2021, it launched the Doctor Shrimp Academy and Clinic to support the shrimp industry globally.
Photo courtesy of Blue Aqua
