Using advanced technology helps us create more natural food
We believe that the planet’s greatest resource is the human brain and that our ingenuity is key to solve the problems we face. Consequently, we employ the largest R&D department in the salmon farming industry. They look at every aspect of what we do and seek ways to work more efficiently with less impact on the environment.
We also work with partners exploring the role for radical technologies to set new standards in aquaculture. Working with the Alphabet’s X – Tidal, we are exploring how advanced underwater sensors, coupled with sophisticated analysis platforms, can set new standards in salmon health and sustainability. The system uses real-time data to monitor growth and weight distribution to optimise feeding controls, closely monitor fish health to improve their welfare and establish precisely when to harvest.
The beauty of this technological approach is that it enables us to care for fish less invasively and facilitates more natural alternatives to chemical and antibiotic interventions.
We deploy technology at every point of the salmon’s journey from fjord to fork and we collect data at every stage of that journey. That gives us a unique picture of the lifecycles of farmed salmon and allows us to deploy sophisticated technologies at each key stage of a salmon’s life to ensure that we are producing food that continually sets new standards of taste, nutrition and sustainability.
Setting new standards of innovation in aquaculture
Mowi is responsible for a swathe of innovative technological solutions to the challenges facing salmon farmers and the wider aquaculture industry. Many of these have been adopted by other salmon producers and we pride ourselves in the role we are playing. It’s in everyone’s interest that we work together to improve fish welfare and drive up sustainability.
Mowi pioneered the use of feeding hatches which improve the efficiency of the industry by reducing wastage.
We also developed Environets. By deploying a second net on the ring we were able to reduce fouling and the need for chemical biocides.
As the world’s largest and most sophisticated salmon producer with facilities around the world and the industry’s largest R&D resource, we are a natural partner for technology companies wishing to trial new equipment and innovations. This helps put us ahead of the curve in all aspects of our business and means we are constantly improving standards of fish development, welfare and sustainability.
Using technology to tackle the industry’s greatest challenge
Sea lice have been a perennial challenge for the salmon industry. And, as sea lice evolved resistance to the chemical solutions widely used to control them, we recognised the need to find new, more effective solutions that didn’t involve chemicals. The fact that we now have a range of non-chemical treatments, is testament to the skill and resourcefulness of our R&D teams. These solutions can now be used in rotation to maximise their effect.
While our cleaner fish initiatives offered a relatively low-tech answer to sea lice control, there are several more technical approaches that we also pioneered.
Fresh water and heat both cause sea lice to drop off their host fish, and Mowi have developed mechanical means to drive fish through pipes and tanks that flush the fish in currents of fresh water or subject them to precise levels of heat. This involves sending the fish through pipes into well boats where the sea lice can be captured, after which the salmon is returned to the farm.
Achieving this without damaging or stressing the fish has been a major technical challenge. Mowi’s technical teams developed a pilot fish – effectively a robot salmon with sensors – to ensure the journey through the flushing and thermal treatments causes minimal stress to the real salmon.
Mowi has pioneered much of the technology that is now being used to keep fish free from lice. We hold the two patents for the top flushing systems which we have co-developed and the system is now being widely used throughout Europe and is likely to be adopted in North and South America.
Why digital salmon will be better for you
Digitisation is viewed as a panacea for the problems of many industries and there is no doubt that it can have a transformative effect on the way we understand salmon and every aspect of their journey down the value chain.
We are developing something we call Mowi 4.0. It is an integrated and highly sophisticated data capture system that can compute detailed information gathered throughout the salmon’s life. From its DNA profile, to its life in the farm to analysis of its flesh during processing, to customer feedback about the finished product, we gain a full data picture of each fish.
Data gathered from underwater footage, allows us to monitor the salmon’s health, weight and condition so we can deliver treatments as soon as they are needed, feed precisely the right amounts and optimise the point at which we harvest. These underwater systems also facilitate remote monitoring of sites meaning less human interaction which, in turn, reduces stress levels in the fish.
Having this joined-up data picture gives us invaluable insights into every aspect of what we do – from the fish we breed, to the feed that performs best, to our production processes. It allows us to fine-tune every aspect of operations to deliver salmon that is more healthy and nutritious, that tastes and looks better and that has minimal impact on the environment.