what is fish handling & RAS aquaculture?
Fish handling and the aquaculture industry often begin their processes with broodstock in hatcheries, who spawn and care for the broodstock, and the resulting fry, until they are large enough to be either released into the wild as part of a stock enhancement program, or transferred to a Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) facility.
RAS is a form of farm raised seafood that is land based, used to raise fish in an environment in which the waste, nutrients, and filtering systems can be controlled, as opposed to open water fish farms. This allows for the growing consumer demand for fish to be met in a more sustainable, green, and safe manner. The development of RAS is important because it creates less waste, uses less water, and decreases disease in fish without using hormones, chemicals, or antibiotics.
Right now, in hatcheries and RAS, the standard method of moving or transferring fish between tanks or facilities is the traditional aqua pump. The aqua pump requires significant water movement to be effective, and can be very stressful for the fish entering the system. This can be problematic because elevated levels of stress enzymes (e.g. cortisol) found in fish tissue can be detrimental for the fishes survival rate in stock enhancement programs, and also lower the quality of a yield in RAS systems. The aqua pump may also increase the probability of injuries and mortalities.
what do we do?
Our systems can transfer fish between tanks or facilities within a variety of fish handling and aquaculture scenarios. This has a number of benefits:
· Reduces stress on the fish for a better end product.
· Reduces the need for extra pumps
· Reduces maintenance expenses
· Reduces the need for wastewater treatment
· Reduces floorspace requirements
· Reduces extra manpower
Our goal was to create a system that puts less stress on the fish, keeping them happy and healthy, while dramatically reducing labor, water and expense for the operator. We have achieved that and are continually working to improve and further automate our technology. Right now our systems are in place in hatcheries and RAS aquaculture facilities around the world.
what is our impact?
Our systems save water, reduce operating costs and floor space requirements, and help facilitate healthier, happier fish.
We achieve this through several careful design features. We save water by designing tubes that only require a gentle misting in order to safely and carefully transfer fish from tank to tank or between facilities. This is important in the effort to create a more sustainable and green industry, leaving the unused water for other purposes.
While our systems are hand fed, they do not require the physical labor that current methods often do. Traditionally fish must be hand carried from tank to tank, a system that can be as inefficient as it is stressful for the fish. Our systems are designed to create a more innovative and safe way to transport these fish and arranging labor to be used more efficiently.
Our systems have been proven to reduce stress in fish, measured by the level of cortisol in their tissue. Our tubes transfer fish from tank to tank quickly and efficiently, and our decelerators make sure that their entry is safe.
We prefer our fish happy and healthy, just like our earth, which is why our system is designed for sustainability and for a high quantity and quality yield.