With the total annual aquaculture production contributing to 45% of the world’s aquatic product consumption, the importance of aquaculture on the global food market cannot be overstated. As with any food resource, sustainability and animal welfare is a top priority. Keeping infrastructure and equipment in proper operating condition and ensuring compliance with health and welfare standards is of paramount importance to Deep Trekker.
ROVs are used in aquaculture in a variety of ways to help users complete tasks around the farm in a safe and efficient manner. Some examples include:
Hiring dive teams to perform these regular and on-going underwater tasks can be expensive, inefficient, and dangerous. Battery powered ROVs allow operators the freedom to conduct inspections and perform underwater tasks at a moment’s notice.
Utilizing battery power ensures rapid deployment and enhanced portability for convenient transportation throughout the entire farm or to remote locations. This is incredibly useful during emergency situations like a breach, where time is of the essence.
With stock ROV models capable of conducting and recording HD visual inspections, this in itself provides an invaluable tool for aquaculture. When combined with industry specific add-ons, ROVs become a comprehensive solution for inspections, environmental sampling, mort management, cleaning, and net repair.
Looking to the world’s leading seafood company – MOWI as an example, their Canada West division has been using Deep Trekker ROVs for the past nine years. Regularly used for the inspection of nets and anchoring, MOWI has also successfully used a lifting hook and cutter attachment for disconnecting or lifting nets.
In addition to monitoring the overall integrity of their pens, MOWI uses their ROVs to keep a close eye on their fish. Monitoring feeding, stock behavior, smolt delivery, and health checks during handling can all effectively be done using Deep Trekker ROVs. Having a quick and simple monitoring method allows MOWI to conveniently optimize the health and welfare of their fish.
“You can see your fish whenever you want to,” says Gerry Burry, Site Manager at MOWI’s Quatsino operating area in British Columbia. “Plus, every time we can prevent a scuba diver from entering the water, we increase safety and save money, it doesn’t take long for one single unit to pay for itself.