FRAMO - Aquastream2

Norsk lakseoppdrett står overfor betydelige utfordringer, inkludert lakselus, infeksjoner, og forurensing i form av slam og fôr fra åpne sjømerder. Disse problemene har bremset markedets vekst. Utvikling av nye metoder for fiskeoppdrett er avgjørende, men potensialet i å forbedre eksisterende åpne merder er ikke fullt utnyttet. FRAMO har løsninger for å takle disse problemene. Deres Aquastream-system forbedrer allerede vannforholdene i merdene og gjør det mulig å bruke luseskjørt hele året for å hindre lus. I tillegg har de systemer for å håndtere slam og redusere forurensing fra fôr. Dette prosjektet sikter på å bruke disse systemene til å skape et sensorbasert miljø som dekker hele merden. Det utforsker hvordan styring av ulike parametere i åpne merder kan ha positive effekter for fisken, det omkringliggende miljøet og villfisk. Prosjektet bidrar til å innføre en mer bærekraftig, miljøvennlig og lønnsom utvikling for norsk lakseoppdrett ved å optimalisere eksisterende anlegg og takle viktige utfordringer i bransjen.

Framo has currently developed the Aquastream pump system which is installed in the middle of open pens to draw water from a more stable condition up to 20 metres below the surface up to the top of the pen and induce a current, thereby improving the water quality and enabling lice skirts all year round. In the current climate some farmers are forced to remove skirts mid summer due to a lack of oxygen within the skirt. Preventative measures also suppress the need of delousing which can be an expensive process that brings a lot of stress and damage to the salmon through high temperatures. Prolonged temperatures above 18°C have also been documented to stress salmon, with temperatures above 21°C being potentially lethal. These temperatures can also be found naturally in summertimes in areas like Canada where fish farming is popular. Multiple factors can be manipulated with the Aquastream through lifting water from a deeper, more stable position which can improve conditions within the pen. For sludge collection, Framo has acquired LiftUp – a company specialised in sludge collection – to include these to their aquaculture catalogue. LiftUp’s sludge collecting systems use a custom net to funnel the sludge at the bottom of the pen into a single point where it is sucked up and transported to a central processing unit for all pens in the area. Using these products as a platform the project will perform a deep dive in how controlling different parameters in open pen fish farms will affect the fish within the pen, wild fish in the areas surrounding it and the environment in general. The project will centre around the Aquastream documenting the impact it has in its current state and mapping its potential for improving conditions in and around open pens. Using the knowledge gathered, a process of optimising existing functions and developing auxiliary equipment to expand the range of functions will proceed while continuously monitoring this developed technology’s effectiveness.