Optimising performance to maximise yield within the aquaculture industry
Sector: Industry and infrastructure
Challenge: Optimising performance
Controlling costs while enhancing operations is a central concern for any sector of industry. Aquaculture brings the additional pressure of maintaining a healthy and sustainable yield without breaching increasingly stringent regulations on biosecurity and fish welfare. External directives coupled with internal production targets mean protecting stock, controlling the spread of disease and protecting from sea lice and parasites is vital.
In 2020 Xylem developed the Aquaculture Centre of Excellence, where our team brings together more than 40 years of knowledge and experience working with land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), flow-through systems and cage farms to help our aquaculture partners. Many are seeking a more sustainable approach to optimising performance with durable chemical-free solutions which offer the chance to lower the industry’s environmental impact as well as the bottom line. Xylem’s insight within this sector can guide optimisation at every stage from disinfection, water intake, recirculation and wastewater treatment to heat exchange, filtration and oxygenation as well as silage.
Keeping it pure
Maintaining the highest water quality is crucial for healthy fish, particularly within RAS where up to 95% of water is recirculated and variations in chemical levels can mean the difference between boosting growth or suffocating the fish. Water quality, however, is becoming increasingly hard to maintain and monitor as new pathogens threaten effective production.
Optimal design of tanks, pump-pits, pipes and pipe dimensions are key factors for getting the most from recirculating aquaculture systems, along with powerful analytics equipment to control and optimise the environment. Xylem also offer pump concepts for water intake in closed cages, which can be a step forward in limiting sea lice that cost the global aquaculture industry $1bn a year.
UV and ozone disinfection systems offer a chemical-free solution to maintain the ideal hygienic conditions for water intake, outflow and recirculation to prevent growth of pathogenic bacteria, fungi and viruses, and guarantee a higher productivity rate, lower fish mortality and better-quality fish. Bespoke solutions can be tailored to fit any farms, like closed UV disinfection reactors designed to withstand the corrosive conditions in applications like aquaculture farms.
Optimising process water treatment
Poor water quality and crowded conditions in RAS can lead to stress and disease, but innovations in cage design such as supplied mixers to generate currents - mean fish are more active and therefore healthier. Similarly, in land-based flow-through systems, Xylem offers reliable, energy-efficient pumping equipment.
With a fish population dependent on the correct conditions, the need for built-in barriers to keep systems running with minimal risk of breakdown is paramount. The latest digital sensors and analytics equipment can help fish farmers ensure conditions are stable, while remote monitoring and control means staff are kept informed of any fluctuations in real time, allowing a rapid response when needed.
Managing waste effectively
The latest innovations can provide peace of mind when considering adherence to strict regulations on waste management. Moving bed biofilm reactor (MBBR) processes, for example, improve reliability, simplify operations and require less space than traditional wastewater treatment systems, while UV treatment offers an environmentally friendly solution to ensure the biosecurity of your operation.
Xylem provides complete fully automatic solutions for continuous production of silage, including storage tanks and submersible or dry-installed chopper pumps for more hygienic, efficient handling and treatment of dead fish. And it is not a one-size-fits-all option: systems can be custom-engineered according to each organisation’s exact specifications.
Working smarter within aquaculture
Digital technology offers the option for every aquaculture application to work smarter and eliminate guesswork and worry.
Intelligent pump functions and advanced monitoring and control equipment can adapt to operating conditions in real time to deliver sustained high efficiency at lower, more predictable costs, for example. Plug-and-play ozone generators can add ozone to seawater for disinfection on board processing boats as an effective way to keep the tanks hygienic and clean.
No compromise on standards – or yield
When an imbalance or pathogen can decimate the whole crop, choosing the right instrumentation to monitor and control the aquaculture environment is crucial. Quality design, manufacture, and effective maintenance of the range of systems for every aquaculture application is the key to managing threats to effective production and profitable growth. Understanding how to optimise performance and gain control over the water and fluids you use, will yield significant control over costs as well.