Sensor, ova tester, and tank cleaner make shortlist for Aqua Nor award

A novel Canadian sensor, a non-destructive ova tester from Germany, and a Norwegian vertical cleaning robot for fish tanks in hatcheries and land-based fish farms have been announced as the finalists for the prestigious Innovation Award to be presented at the world’s biggest aquaculture trade fair, Aqua Nor, next month.

The Sensor Globe, from Nova Scotia company Marin X Inc., is a grapefruit-sized device that “flows with the fish” during processing operations to deliver acceleration measurements alongside water quality monitoring to enhance fish welfare and reduce mortality rates.

Evonta-Technology, based in Dresden, has developed fully automated determination of the fertilisation rate of salmon eggs using a high-tech procedure from ophthalmology. The technology, tested in collaboration with Norwegian ova supplier Aqua Gen AS, involves three-dimensional detection and analysis of the cell cluster of fertilised salmon eggs. The scanned fish eggs remain viable and are examined in their natural state.

Climbing the walls

Bergen-based EasyX has developed the VCR (Vertical Cleaning Robot) for cleaning and disinfecting fish tanks in hatcheries and tanks in land-based fish farming. The robot can move vertically on smooth surfaces, regardless of material. It also eliminates several environment and health and safety challenges, such as exposure to chemicals and heights, and production efficiency is also increased. The robot is equipped with a foam nozzle and spray wand, which among other things reduces chemical consumption.

A prototype has been tested by pilot customers and partners. Currently, this is the only robot on the market for cleaning empty tanks and vessels.

Past winners of the Innovation Award have included Dundee company Ace Aquatec’s in-water electric fish stunner, the Humane Stunner Universal, and the CleanTreat water filtration process designed in Scotland by aquaculture biotechnology company Benchmark. CleanTreat is now used in Norway to remove residues of Benchmark’s sea lice medicine Ectosan Vet (imidacloprid) from treatment water and has undergone successful trials to test its efficacy to remove another lice medicine, Salmosan Vet (azamethiphos) from treatment water in Scotland.

The winner of this year’s Innovation Award will be announced during Aqua Nor, which takes place from 22-24 August in Trondheim, Norway.