Laser launches in Scotland
Stingray, the delousing laser system, was officially launched on the Scottish market this week by company founder John Arne Breivik.
“We’re now ready for commercial sales in Scotland,” he told Fish Farming Expert at Aquaculture UK.
One of the elements he’s keen to emphasise is the economic sense that buying the laser makes.
“By buying the system farmers will actually save money, thanks to the reduced number of treatments that cages with the laser will require,” he points out. “By preventing as few as 2-3 treatments covers the cost of the system and in one case in Norway the laser actually paid for itself within 6 months.”
“Not only are you cutting down on treatments but, by doing so, it also means that you don’t have to starve the fish, so they grow more quickly,” he adds
He also emphasises that each system will be constantly maintained and upgraded by the company to ensure that its performance is optimised.
“The systems come with a 4-year service agreement, with the option of a fifth year, which means that the company not only services the system, but also continually updates the software, meaning that every system remains at the cutting edge,” he explains.
50 lasers have already been installed by the Oslo-based company, with 18 more currently in production and John Arne is excited by entering the Scottish market.
“We’ve had a lot of interest, and it’s important to let everyone know that we’re now available in the UK, now we’re looking forward to sitting down and coming up with site-specific strategies – we’re also inviting producers to come to farms in Norway to see farms that are fully equipped with the lasers.”
He also points out that the technology that is used in the system is constantly getting better.
“In the last half year we’ve seen an improvement in the number of pulses the running time and the overall technical platform, which has led to much more effective delousing and we’re constantly upgrading every system,” he says.
With customers including Marine Harvest, as well as a host of independent Norwegian salmon farmers, it looks likely that it is only a matter of time before Scottish lice find themselves under fire, although it does – he emphasises – work best in larger scale sites.
“It’s most economical at sites with more than 35,000 fish and cages of over 70m,” he says.
