RAS research recirculated to Chilean hatchery experts
Feed producer BioMar has flown 22 members of the Chilean salmon farming industry to Europe’s biggest gathering of aquaculture scientists in Berlin to keep them up to date with the latest developments in recirculating aquaculture systems.
The trip is part of the Danish company’s increasing focus on producing specialist feed for RAS facilities, which are becoming increasingly important for smolt production in Chile.
The group visiting Berlin comprises employees from salmon farmers in Chile and some of BioMar’s own staff in Chile.
On Monday they attended the fifth Nordic RAS event at the Estrel Congress Centre and were spending yesterday and today at the European Aquaculture Society’s Aquaculture Europe 2019 gathering at the same venue.
Particle removal
Their programme includes meetings, talks, discussions and conversations around topics such as water quality, microbiology, particle removal, advanced oxidation processes, animal welfare, disinfectants and therapy, among other topics related to fish farming in RAS.
The visitors include Cristian Delgado, freshwater manager of Multiexport Foods, Chile’s third largest salmon farmer, producing 95-96,000 tonnes.
Always learning
He told Fish Farming Expert: “It is my third time at the Nordic RAS conference but my first at the EAS.
“I always gain knowledge on such trips, I always learn something.
“Today (Tuesday) was very interesting because we learned about sulphuric acid. It can be a big problem in RAS - you must always control sulphur. Today I learned how it can be controlled.”
Multiexport and Salmones Camancha led the way with Chile’s first RAS hatcheries, around 12 years ago, and Multiexport now has three RAS.
Water quality
“The goals for the hatcheries are different because we need control of the quality of water, the control of disease,” explained Delgado.
“The size of the smolts today is 160g average in the companies in Chile.
“When you increase the size of the smolts you need more capacity, and that means you need a RAS - you cannot grow smolts in the lakes any more.
Freshwater systems
“BioMar’s feed is very good for RAS, and we use it in our RAS, although we use a different company for our flow-through freshwater systems.
“But with flow-through the problem is the amount of water that you need. We will not get a licence for that much water use in any new plant, so you must use RAS.”
Great meeting opportunities
Hugo Cajas, freshwater manager for Salmones Camanchaca, which will produce 60,000 tonnes of Atlantic salmon this year, is also in Berlin and was also attending Nordic RAS for the third time.
“This trip is very important because it is a very good opportunity to meet people from around the world involved in salmon farming. We can also check the new work on terms of technology and studies,” he said.
“Also, for me it is very important to meet different people we would normally contact by email or phone but can meet face to face.”
BioMar is the principal sponsor of Aquaculture Europe 2019 and was today presenting a session on functional aquafeeds, chaired by Pedro Gomez Requeni of BioMar’s nutrition and feed formulation unit.
