July | August 2012 Fish farm monitoring

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The International magazine for the aquaculture feed industry

FEATURE

MONITORING
by Patrick Ruthven, Technical Sales, AC-CESS Ltd

FISH FARM

he monitoring of what happens within a pen at a fish farm has progressively become a greater necessity for fisheries. As the complexity and importance of monitoring the relevant behaviour of the fish developed so did the engineering solutions. Traditional methods focussed around divers getting wet and dipping in to the tank, perhaps with waterproof cameras to record the data to be analysed later. This method obviously has its draw backs as it is not practical or desirable for a diver to be in the pen for extended periods of time, which would have been needed if a true representation of what was going on was to be acquired. This was why fish farms started to look for remote visual inspection solutions to their monitoring needs. Pan and tilt cameras have been used extensively in fish farms throughout the world for monitoring the fish, feeding behaviour and condition of the fish within the farm environment. A problem with this is that they could only set their pan and tilt cameras to a fixed depth and location within their fish pens. The primary objective is to keep feeding for as long as possible, whilst wasting as little feed as possible. Operators need to watch the fish feeding so that they can control the feed supply rate and in some cases the feed specification. At the start of a feeding session, the fish are frantic at the surface, but as the session progresses, the fish move down and progressively more and more of them stop feeding. The operator wants to control the feed supply rate by watching, not so much

the fish, but the feed pellets to see how much is falling past the fish. Feed is expensive and the pellets are quite small, they also come in different sink rates. A pan and tilt camera on its own can only be moved manually however All Oceans Engineering of Aberdeen, Scotland developed a two winch system that can be moved over the full width and depth of a pen or tank. The pan and tilt camera is suspended on lines from the two winches. Operating the winches together or separately greatly increases the tank viewing options.

day use at the fish farms. However, the most notable of these developers was in one of the worlds greatest salmon farming nations; Chile, with an AC-ROV distributor called Mariscope leading the way.

Chilean salmon farming

The southern region of the SouthAmerican continent is normally known as Patagonia. It is possible to distinguish between two Patagonias, the Argentinean side, and the Chilean one. Due to the fact that there are the Andes in between, both regions have a completely different climatology. This new concept is based on the fact that the Argentinean part is mostly arid and the Chilean side has a temperate-humid climatology. Similar to Norway, this area has an immense amount of fjords and channels. Hundreds of islands, including underwater volcanoes make this region unique in the world and ideal for aquaculture activities. Due to the pristine water, the strong currents, the continuous water mass exchange and the proximity to fresh water reservoirs, an important salmon farming industry has developed over the last three decades. It started as a project in the early 80s, with very small wooden cages. The results were so encouraging that a small industry followed. Up to the end of the 90s, the salmon industry in Chile was growing fast. A lot of things changed from the beginnings and the industry developed from a very artisan one to a very modern harvesting industry. By 2007, Chile produced as much salmon as Norway, some 600,000 tonnes per year. As a consequence, the net cages became bigger

Other inspection requirements

There are however many other underwater inspection requirements on fish farms. The above considered the product while the following considers the high value asset represented by the pens, anchors and environment. This is where All Oceans and their associate company AC-CESS are again providing support. The AC-ROV micro ROV (Remotely Operated Vehicle) is a revolution in micro ROV design. Never before had a company manufactured a robust and manoeuvrable system that came in such a small package as to be able to be deployed and operated by one person. This seems to be the perfect solution. Distributors of products developed by AC-CESS and its parent company All Oceans Engineering have also had success in implementing the use of bespoke remote visual inspection solutions for the monitoring of fish in fish farms worldwide. In northern Europe in Norway and Finland remote visual inspection is increasingly being integrated into every
38 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | July-August 2012

FEATURE and the moorings had to be stronger according to the stress of wind, waves and currents. project included four tilapia farms in China. These identify the key problems and causes related to in April, 2011. Over 40 farmers, processors, technicians and government officers attended the farms represented both small- and commercial- water management. The second project is an assessment of the workshop. Participants found the workshop very Huge harvesting utilising scale production facilities sites two different The difference in Chile is that the harvestproduction systems (pond and cages). Aside from regional environmental impacts of fish farm clusters, informative and helpful. This enhanced the producing sites are far bigger than anywhere else in identifying similarities and differences among criteria which will be jointly conducted by SFP and Hainan ers awareness of increasing demands for certified the world. With nets of 50 m in diameter and and requirements used by the three standards, Research Academy of Environmental Sciences, the sustainable seafood from overseas markets, thus up to 40 45 m deep, the amount of salmon this project also identified outstanding issues in the leading environmental research institute in Hainan. further facilitating the engagement of Chinese per cage reached 150 200 tonnes and The study will examine the potential for regional stakeholders into a supply-chain dialogue around farms, which most producers were able to address more. The biggest production sites had up as a result of the trial audit. To date, all four farms scale improvement by looking at carrying capacity sustainability. to 36 such cages per module and sometimes SFP is currently working with local institutes of are now certified under one or more of the com- and the potential for zoning in a specific area. three modules in parallel. mercial aquaculture standards. These huge sites As more first-hand data becomes available aquaculture and environmental sciences to identify had to widely acknowledged for weights of up (along with a more in-depth understanding of and evaluate both qualitatively and quantitatively SFP is be moored with dead its expertise to 20 tonnes each, sometimes with more than existing policies and management measures), the the environmental impacts of tilapia farming in by stakeholders in Chinese tilapia, including key 700 tonnes of weight for each site. The deep US and European buyers and retailers, as well as AIP will establish a working group that convenes Hainan. This includes an ecological study as well as fjords combined with strong currents and the the key buyers, suppliers and producers along the socio-political analysis to advise local governments producers and processors in China, aquaculture action of waves made completely new moorinstitutes, industry associations, and local Chinese Chinese tilapia supply-chain to share the scientific and industrial associations about how to efficiently ing designs necessary. Problems arose, since governments. Given the high level of trust that SFP findings. The AIP will then form a multi-stakeholder address the environmental issues associated with often the more than 1 km long mooring lines enjoys with the tilapia supply chain it was appropri- policy roundtable to further discuss the problems tilapia farming in Hainan. The preliminary results will crossed each other during installation and sufate that a tilapia Aquaculture Improvement Project and solutions. The AIP participants will eventually be shared with key stakeholders at the Aquaculture fered damage during the operation. Accidents agree on the actions and timetables necessary to Policy Roundtable this fall in China. in order to complete their diet. Therefore have to fight day in day out with the extreme (AIP) was officially launched in 2011. with total or partial loss of harvesting sites and achieve the sustainability objectives defined by SFP they are located partnerships with salmon farmers need to protect the net cages area is also developing in. In comparison, SFP has now initiated two research projects with special sea lion nets that involve the the maximum current velocity in Norway to millions of dollars in fish loss resulted from a the group. SFP will play a leading role in engaging Chinese universities and large feed manufacturers is assess the impact of tilapia farming on the lack of inspection of the underwater environ- original nets. improve feed sourcing for tilapia farming in external environment. The first project, started stakeholders, providing scientific advice and facilitat- to around 0.5 knots in salmon producing areas. Extreme weather conditions with very fast ment and installations. To complete the image before we look at China. This work is to be undertaken through in April 2011, involves monitoring water qual- ing communication. changing winds (there is a feeding efficienthe ROVs in this context, a couple of other research projects on improving lot of ocean and ity on selected farms in Hainan province, and and developing alternative feeds with fewer aspects have to be explained. The harvesting cy very few land masses at these latitudes) are was undertaken by the Hainan Institute of Up-to-date progress Extreme conditions just another problem of working in this area. sites are all located in relatively protected impacts on wild fisheries. Aquaculture. Dozens of water quality paramSince this harvesting happens in Patagonia, SFP has worked closely with local tilapia associaeters such as chemical oxygen demand (COD), tions to assess different tilapia standards that are there are some peculiarities related with this inshore waters, not in the open Pacific Ocean. nitrogen and phosphorus content, and heavy available in the market. A workshop all but calm. More InforMatIon: ROVs region at the worlds end: in this case the sea Nevertheless, these waters are introducing Introducing metals were analysed for five farms over two three international standards for tilapia farming, i.e. Sustainable Fisheries Partnership started to ask for lions. These predators find it most interesting With currents of up to five knots and depth Insurance companies croppings (10 months). The study helped BAP, GlobalGAP, and ASC, was held in Haikou Website: www.sustainablefish.org sites were moored to attack the cages filled up with salmons over 500 m, salmon producing companies better control after the EXPERT TPIC

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July-August 2012 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | 41

FEATURE and during the operational time. Additional problems arose through heavy bio-fouling, increasing the weight of the nets by four to five times their original mass. This was the moment where ROVs appeared on the scene. Mariscope started with the first inspections for the insurance companies around 2002. Initially just a couple of mooring lines were inspected from the top buoy to the seabed. These inspections demonstrated a to inspect the sea lion nets and to repair them. Since these nets sometimes reach as deep as 70 m, dive time is reduced also reducing the cost effectiveness of using a diver. Through lax regulations and control divers very often suffer severe injuries from the long and deep exposure and mortality among the industry divers still remains relatively high. As a consequence ROVs started to be used permanently for the net inspections. The divers disinfection processes before and after leaving the fish pens. For many fish farms this asserted ROVs as the most cost effective and simple solution for monitoring. Some of the larger companies, such as Marine Harvest, have developed ROVs to clean away the dead fish killed by disease from the bottom of the nets using lift up suction tubes attached to the ROVs. Additionally, over the years there has been an accumulation of rubbish under the net cages. Since this and bio-fouling continues to be a problem and also the copper based antifouling paints are decaying, ROVs are used to clean the nets while installed. More and more, ROVs are changing from purely inspection systems to light work class units that are able to pick up materials, carry instruments or carry out cleaning tasks.

Next Generation ROVs

At Mariscope, System Integration is the basis for new ROVs. These vehicles have a completely different concept from standard light work class ROVs. Normally these types of vehicles are equipped with one or at best two manipulators, a tracking device and some kind of sonar. If you then have a couple of laser pointers and a HDTV camera on board, you are already at the top of the range. In the case of the new generation of light work class ROVs, the vehicles are equipped with a wide range of oceanographic measuring devices. You can think of them as small underwater research vessels. Sensors like CO2, H2S, Oil in Water CTDs, Turbidity and Chla just to name a few, are installed on board and lowered under the cages, where other systems can not get to. Here, under the cages, the sediments grow and are contaminated due to the activities on the surface and are the focus for new diseases. Measurements will help the producers to take the correct decisions for the future of their sites. But these underwater labs are also useful in other branches like offshore, research, pollution detection, salvage operation and others. The more real data you have, the better you will be able to take operational decisions. Modern, high efficient microprocessor based ROV electronics, coupled with high-end sensors and measuring devices are opening a new world of opportunities for light work class and micro-ROVs.

lot of problems in the way moorings were deployed. Big risks for the salmon companies and for the insurance companies appeared. More and more, complete and periodical inspections took place, reducing the amount of accidents and the risk of losing sites and stock. Additionally, mooring companies had the possibility to check their work and learn how to change procedures to be more efficient.

Divers to ROVs
Divers had been used since the beginning

that had been diving for years repairing and inspecting the nets can now be found operating the ROVs. Over the last couple of years, the fish farming industry in Chile suffered from several diseases, some of them as a result of over production and increased stock density. The industry was hardest hit in 2007 after the infectious salmon anemia outbreak, which depleted stocks drastically. Following this, laws in Chile were changed so that divers and the equipment that serviced the divers had to go through stringent
40 | InternAtIonAl AquAFeed | July-August 2012

AC-CESS Tel: +44 1224 790100 Fax: +44 1224 790111 Email: patrick@ac-cess.com Website: www.ac-cess.com Mariscope Website: www.mariscope.cl

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