Shellfish hatchery equipment developed by Castle Ashby, Northampton, United Kingdom-based company Ocean On Land Technology (OLT) has been incorporated into a new trial looking at the viability of farming Australian freshwater red claw crayfish (Cherax quadricarinatus) in land-based systems currently taking place in Norway.
The trial has been organized through a partnership between the University of Bergen and Pure Lobster, a Norwegian company that is researching the potential for carrying out sustainable land-based farming systems for the species. If successful, the trial will be the first in Norway to rear this crayfish on land. It is hoped this will provide an opportunity for hatcheries elsewhere to do the same and help to further enhance the commercial future of this shellfish species.
“The solution put forward by Ocean On Land Technology plays a crucial role in the trial itself and the development of the potential red claw crayfish farming system,” Pure Lobster CEO Aslak Heining said. “We would like to thank the team for their assistance in this project and we look forward to working together on the project and in the future.”
The technologies supplied by Cadman Capital Group Aquaculture Division subsidiary OLT to the project include its patented Aquahive holding system for juvenile animals.
“We are extremely proud to play a part in this trial, a trial that could transform the production of red claw crayfish not only in Norway but in other geographies,” Cadman Capital Group Aquaculture Portfolio Managing Director Nik Sachlikidis said. “This is exactly what our products are created for – to support the development of new and exciting ways to sustainably source shellfish on land, further securing the future of the aquaculture industry and the supply of seafood for years to come.”
Last year, another Cadman subsidiary, the Orkney Shellfish Hatchery (OSH), located on the remote island of Lamb Holm, introduced native flat oysters and clawed lobsters into its land-based culturing systems. As well as being a commercial hatchery, OSH provides a testing ground for solutions developed by OLT, including its Aquahive and Hatchery In-a-Box products.
OLT products have been used in Norway since 2010.
Photo courtesy of Ocean On Land Technology
