SeafoodSource is closely following seafood processing and equipment innovation by compiling a regular round-up of updates from the sector. If you have an announcement, please send it to [email protected].
– Baffin Fisheries has taken delivery of the Inuksuk II, the largest Canadian-owned fishing vessel ever.
Baffin first launched the vessel in October 2023, but construction and installation of equipment took another year to complete. The company said the vessel will harvest shrimp and Greenland halibut in the Eastern Arctic for its Inuit owners.
“We are thrilled to have made this significant investment for the people of our communities in the Baffin region of Nunavut and appreciate all the attention and effort that has been invested in Inukshuk II by all involved,” Baffin Fisheries Chair Kelly Kilabuk said. “This beautiful vessel will serve us well for decades to come, and will be an exciting, rewarding place to work.”
The 80-meter factory freezer trawler will be capable of catching up to 1,300 metric tons (MT) of Greenland halibut, or 900 MT of shrimp, and is Nunavut’s first new fishing vessel.
– Norway-based aquaculture operation Lødingen Fisk announced it is seeing positive results from California, U.S.A.-based Moleaer’s nanobubble technology.
Moleaer, founded in 2016, produces nanobubble systems that serve as a method for treating water and wastewater, cleaning surfaces, and more. The company received an investment from S2G Ventures in 2021, and has installed its nanobubble technology in greenhouses, open-field farms, and aquaculture facilities.
Lødingen Fisk incorporated the company’s Trinity Nanobubble Generator technology in its aquaculture facility.
The new system has resulted in improved water quality, fish health, and operational efficiency, according to Moleaer. Its implementation resulted in 94 percent oxygen transfer efficiency, a 23 percent increase in dissolved oxygen and 30 percent reduction in water turbidity which resulted in a 67 percent decrease in ozone use, enhance biofilter efficiency, and a “biofilm scrubbing effect” where nanobubbles loosened biofilm on surfaces.
“Moleaer’s study showed that within the first 48 hours of nanobubble integration, there was an immediate increase in oxygen transfer and biofilm removal,” the company said. “The second set of measurements, taken after 50 days, revealed clearer water and improved nitrification rates, helping to significantly reduce toxic nitrite accumulation by 70 percent.”
Moleaer Senior Director of Scandinavia Jan Eric Haagensen said the use demonstrated the technology’s potential use case for aquaculture.
“The results not only validate our technology but also demonstrate how strategic application can drive substantial improvements, offering a pathway toward improved fish welfare and more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable aquaculture facilities,” Haagensen said.
– Remora Robotics, the maker of automated aquaculture cage cleaning robots, said it has received NOK 80 million (USD 7.5 million, EUR 6.8 million) in capital from Frøy Kapital, the investment firm of Norwegian billionaire Helge Gåsø, the former chair of Norway Royal Salmon, which was acquired by SalMar in 2022. The firm said its main goal is investing in profitable businesses on the Norwegian coast.
The Frøy Kapital investment adds to investments by Grieg Kapital, Momentum, and Singularity. Remora said the firm has identified its net-cleaning robots as a potential solution for aquaculture net cleaning and anti-fouling, and the investment will help it in its next stage of growth.
“With Frøy Kapital’s entry, we mark a new milestone. Their industry knowledge and experience make them an ideal investor,” Remora Robotics CEO Svein Erik Gregersen said.
The autonomous robots created by Remora clean and remove any biofouling on nets with brushes and use sensors and algorithms to monitor and inspect the fish cages.
“We believe Remora Robotics’ technology has the potential to change the way the industry thinks about net cleaning and set new standards for both sustainability and animal welfare in aquaculture. Our investment is an expression of our belief in the technology and the company’s potential,” Frøy Kapital Investment Director Tomas Okstad said.
– Hsinchu, Taiwan-based WIN WIN Precision Technology has unveiled a new solar power module developed specifically for the aquaculture industry.
WIN WIN Precision Technology develops the WINAICO solar brand, and holds patents on wind-resistant and water drain valve designs, the company said. Its new AQUA model is specifically designed for use in aquaculture operations by using salt-resistant modules that can withstand a marine environment.
According to WIN WIN Chairman Szu-Ming Chen, normal solar modules can’t stand up to corrosion from water vapor, acidity, and salt. The new AQUA model uses double-layer coated glass and more robust waterproofing methods, while still maintaining its energy generation capacity.
– Dundee, Scotland-based Ace Aquatec has received a grant from Michelin Development to expand its operations.
Michelin, a manufacturer of polymer composites commonly known for its tires, said Ace Aquatec is using the grant to add employment opportunities to its headquarters in Dundee, Scotland, to help oversee global research operations.
“The grant from Michelin Development is supporting us with further targeted, sustainable growth by enabling us to invest in the delivery of more advanced digital data to provide insight to the fish farming community, and to create more new roles in areas including sales, operations and software development in Dundee over the next two years,” Ace Aquatec CEO Nathan Pyne-Carter said. “Access to the funding has been invaluable to us in supporting our hiring programme and investment in technological innovations.”
Michelin said it also offers loans of up to GBP 100,000 (USD 130,700, EUR 119,400) to companies in the Dundee and Angus regions of Scotland to help them leverage other financing and finance growth, and that companies like Ace Aquatec are prime targets for its investments.
“Ace Aquatec utilizes the latest in digital technology to support a greener, more ethical and sustainable fishing industry,” Michelin Development Manager Brian Ciarns said. “The team has decades of combined experience in the aquaculture industry and recognise that being at the forefront of the blue revolution requires agility and commitment to change, while being rooted in the company’s core values of quality, welfare, and sustainability.”