Cermaq has adopted several units from OptoScale and considers this technology a useful tool to optimize production. Monitoring fish growth and health gives Cermaq information that can help the company achieve its goals. A recently concluded agreement means that Cermaq is using OptoScale’s technology in Norway and Canada, and the technology is being tested in Chile, the company reports.

It all started with weight measurements

The OptoScale story began at the edge of the cage 7 years ago, when founder Sven Kolstø learned for himself that weighing a salmon was not the way to go.

– It is difficult to weigh a salmon on unstable ground. It is also not easy to use a small number of fish caught by killer whale casting to estimate the weight distribution of an entire cage.

The civil engineer was encouraged to create a better method and took on the challenge of creating the technology company OptoScale. They provide underwater cameras and a data processing system that allows real-time analysis of fish. Without manipulation, tens of thousands of fish can be measured daily. The quality of the images has increased with the size of the company and today, 35 employees ensure accurate measurements of health parameters and lice in addition to weight.

Weight measurements were the first thing Cermaq saw value in when it adopted OptoScale equipment. In Norway and Canada, crop estimation became easier and forecasts more accurate.

Value at multiple stages of production

– Sales perform better with good upfront information about the fish, says Floyd Cole, Cermaq Canada’s production manager, in a statement.

At the same time, he notes that technology can create value at other stages of production. – Long-term use of the equipment can lead to better performance, both biologically and financially for Cermaq Canada. This will also allow us to use our mountain bike in the best possible way.

Cermaq conducted extensive testing of the technology before signing the long-term usage agreement. Floyd says he is impressed:

– Cermaq Canada is very pleased with OptoScale’s camera technology and the results we have achieved for slaughterhouse recording – the predictability and reliability.

The feedback motivates Kolstø in the future development he envisions as CEO of OptoScale.

– We are inspired by our collaboration with a data and performance driven salmon producer like Cermaq. We continue to build, and the precision we have achieved in weight measurements is a springboard for control in several areas.

He says the technology is also relevant for controlling the dietary factor, health status and lice situation. In this way, information from a single unit can support different areas of responsibility within a company.

– The value that Cermaq has identified for weight is just the beginning, concludes Kolstø, who looks forward to a data-driven future.