Chilean watchdog deploys oxygen prediction tool at salmon farms
French technology will warn of DO events up to 48 hours in advance
Chile’s Superintendency of the Environment (SMA) and French company Bioceanor have signed a collaboration agreement for the implementation of the PREDIMAR system, a predictive tool designed to improve water quality management in the Chilean salmon industry.
PREDIMAR will enable the SMA to detect early changes in dissolved oxygen (DO) levels in the water at salmon farms located in fjords and southern channels of southern Chile, reports Fish Farming Expert’s Chilean sister site, Salmonexpert.cl.
The initiative is part of the SMA's work to strengthen its environmental oversight and compliance strategy in the aquaculture sector, seeking to advance "a preventive and corrective approach to avoid non-compliance and potential sanctions".
The technology will be able to anticipate falls in DO up to 48 hours in advance, enabling a timely response to potential environmental risks associated with mass fish mortalities.
Early warning
Fish farmers will be able to access this data to take early measures and avoid negative impacts, promoting greater sustainability in aquaculture. Bioceanor’s AquaReal artificial intelligence platform, which analyses and predicts water quality data and the associated operational implications for fish growth, fish welfare and risk mitigation, is already used by fish farmers such as Mowi, Salmones Camanchaca, and Invermar.
Information generated by PREDIMAR will also be shared with other government agencies to improve institutional coordination and strengthen preventive management in the sector.
SMA chief Marie Claude Plumer said: “This agreement strengthens our ability to anticipate and mitigate potential environmental risks. This project will benefit both the Superintendency’s monitoring efforts and those of the regulated entities (fish farmers) themselves, through the use of technology, innovation, and applied science, enabling the implementation of preventive actions in the event of potential contingencies.”
French-funded
The PREDIMAR system is funded by the French Treasury Department through the FASEP programme, a fund dedicated to the development of sustainable technologies.
The French ambassador to Chile, Cyrille Rogeau, said the PREDIMAR project “exemplifies the excellence of French SMEs that combine sustainability and technical innovation, contributing to addressing the challenges of the SMA. This is a crucial step for Franco-Chilean cooperation and for the aquaculture sector in Chile.”
Biocenor president Samuel Dupont said: “The collaboration between the SMA and Bioceanor reflects a shared commitment to safeguarding marine ecosystems, while ensuring the long-term viability of salmon farming and the operational efficiency of the sector.”
PREDIMAR has initially been implemented in strategic salmon production areas and will be rolled out to other regions of the country, which the SMA says will consolidate more effective and sustainable regulations for the Chilean aquaculture sector.
