The fish will be more protected, avoid lice treatments and be more robust when it comes out in open cages, says Arne Berge, founder of FishGLOBE.
On Wednesday 25 August during the aquaculture fair AquaNor, the Fish Welfare Award will be presented for the first time, and FishGLOBE is one of the nominees. The Fish Welfare Forum is behind the award ceremony, which represents a collaborative platform between the Veterinary Institute and the Institute of Marine Research. In collaboration with the magazine Norsk Fiskeoppdrett, the Fish Welfare Forum wants to share information about the industry, and the Fish Welfare Award is intended to highlight those who have implemented specific measures for better fish welfare in the smolt production- or harvest phase.
FishGLOBE technology was originally started to provide farmed salmon with a longer stay in a protected environment before entering open fish farms. The globe is basically a floating “land-based facility”, says Arne Berge, founder of FishGLOBE. We do this to improve fish health and fish welfare. The fish will be more protected, avoid lice treatments and be more robust when it comes out in open cages, Berge explains.
By farming fish in open cages from 1 kg instead of 100 grams up to harvest size, the production takes less than a year, Berge explains. This means that even if it is a year where production is stopped for a period between production cycles, it is possible to carry out an entire generation per year. When the fish is ready for delivery, FishGLOBE has a unique patented method that does not harm the fish. By sealing all hatches in the Globe before we put on compressed air, the Globe will be raised within four hours and all fish will be gently displaced out through a hose at the bottom and into a well boat, Berge explains. There are no pumps or anything that damages or stresses the fish, at the same time as we can add new water throughout the process and have control over important parameters such as oxygen, Berge concludes.