Next-Generation Automated Salmon Feeding to Increase Productivity and Improve Sustainability and Fish Welfare

下一代自动化鲑鱼饲喂可提高生产力、改善可持续性和鱼类福利

• 批准号: 10028961
• 金额: $ 100.43万
• 依托单位: OBSERVE TECHNOLOGIES LIMITED
• 依托单位国家: 英国
• 项目类别: Collaborative R&D
• 财政年份: 2022
• 资助国家: 英国
• 起止时间: 2022 至 无数据
• 项目状态: 未结题
• 来源: https://gtr.ukri.org/projects?ref=10028961
• 关键词: Next; Generation; Automated; Salmon; Feeding

Scotland is the third largest global producer of farmed Atlantic salmon (Scottish Government, 2017) and Scottish salmon is the UK's leading food export (Food & Drink Federation, 2019). To meet growing demand, the Scottish aquaculture industry has set ambitious targets to double the economic contribution of the sector from £1.8 billion (2016) to £3.6 billion by 2030 and to double the number of jobs to 18,000 by 2030 (Scotland Food & Drink, 2016), requiring year-on-year production growth of 5%. However, a Scottish Parliamentary committee recently concluded that expansion relying on current best practice "will be unsustainable and may cause irrecoverable damage to the environment" (Scottish Parliament, 2018), providing a strong demand-pull for innovative solutions.Furthermore, Scottish salmon farming is close to reaching, if not at, capacity as the majority of suitable locations are already exploited. Growing environmental concerns means the acquisition of licenses is dictated by the potential environmental impacts. As a result, the output of fish farming is limited by the availability of licenses. Therefore, the only realistic approach to improving and increasing production, while decreasing environmental impacts, is to improve the productivity of the salmon farming process.Aquaculture feed management has a critical role to play in supporting the development of a sustainable aquaculture industry (FAO, 2013). Currently accepted best practice is for farmers to monitor underwater camera and sensor feeds and rely on experience, intuition, and feeding charts to feed the fish. Over-feeding results in feed wastage, increasing production costs; while under-feeding slows fish growth and increases production costs through delaying time to harvest. Inaccurate feeding also causes harmful nutrient discharges to the environment, linked to localised eutrophication and harmful algal blooms (Davidson et al., 2014).Innovate UK funding brings together a world-class consortium, led by Observe Technologies. Working with AKVA Scotland, part of AKVA Group, the world's largest supplier of finfish aquaculture hardware, and fish behaviour experts at the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture, we will develop the next-generation of automated salmon feeding, increasing productivity and improving sustainability and fish welfare. Through Observe's distribution relationship with AKVA Group, this project is set for rapid commercialisation and global technology exports, positioning Observe and the UK as a leader in sustainable aquaculture.This project is aligned with multiple Industrial Strategy Challenges, placing the UK at the forefront of the artificial intelligence and data revolution, supporting clean growth, and transforming food production systems, improving productivity and sustainability.

苏格兰是全球第三大养殖大西洋鲑鱼生产国（苏格兰政府，2017），苏格兰鲑鱼是英国主要的食品出口国（食品和饮料联合会，2019）。为了满足不断增长的需求，苏格兰水产养殖业制定了雄心勃勃的目标，到2030年将该行业的经济贡献从18亿英镑（2016年）增加一倍至36亿英镑，到2030年将就业人数增加一倍至18，000人（苏格兰食品和饮料，2016年），要求产量同比增长5%。然而，苏格兰议会的一个委员会最近得出结论，依靠当前最佳实践的扩张“将是不可持续的，并可能对环境造成不可挽回的损害”（苏格兰议会，2018年），为创新解决方案提供了强大的需求拉动力。此外，苏格兰鲑鱼养殖接近达到（如果不是达到）产能，因为大多数合适的地点已经被开发。日益增长的环境问题意味着许可证的获取取决于潜在的环境影响。因此，渔业养殖的产量受到许可证的限制。因此，提高和增加产量，同时减少环境影响的唯一现实方法是提高鲑鱼养殖过程的生产力。水产饲料管理在支持可持续水产养殖业的发展方面发挥着关键作用（粮农组织，2013年）。目前公认的最佳做法是让农民监测水下摄像机和传感器饲料，并依靠经验，直觉和喂养图表来喂鱼。过度投喂会造成饲料浪费，增加生产成本;而投喂不足会减缓鱼类生长，并通过推迟收获时间增加生产成本。不准确的喂养也会导致有害的营养物质排放到环境中，与局部富营养化和有害藻类大量繁殖有关（Davidson等人，2014). Innovate UK的资金汇集了一个由Observe Technologies领导的世界级财团。我们将与全球最大的有鳍鱼类水产养殖硬件供应商AKVA集团旗下的AKVA Scotland以及斯特林大学水产养殖研究所的鱼类行为专家合作，开发下一代自动化鲑鱼喂食，提高生产力并改善可持续性和鱼类福利。通过与AKVA集团的分销关系，该项目将快速实现商业化和全球技术出口，将Observe和英国定位为可持续水产养殖的领导者。该项目与多个工业战略挑战保持一致，将英国置于人工智能和数据革命的前沿，支持清洁增长，改造食品生产系统，提高生产力和可持续性。