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Aquaculture Magazine reports:
After unveiling their A-Biomass camera on the European stage last year, aquaculture technology specialists, Ace Aquatec, are launching their device to the Japanese market at this year’s Japan International Seafood and Technology Expo in Tokyo, held from August 21 to 23. A-Biomass is an advanced underwater camera designed to bring more efficiency and precision to biomass measurement and distributions of a range of fish species.
The camera uses machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time millimeter accuracy, which could ultimately transform the way fish farmers monitor and grade their fish stock. Weighing in at only 8.5kg, the fully automated camera is smaller and easier to deploy than many on the market, with clients in Scotland, New Zealand and the USA praising its easy deployment and high degree of accuracy.
Having successfully rolled out in several regions, Ace Aquatec now have their sights set on the east Asian market with the company’s Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Tara McGregor-Woodhams; Head of Sales, Ben Perry; and Technical Sales and Partnerships Manager, Tom Cryans, attending the event in order to share insights into the company’s products with delegates.
The trio was at the Seafood from Scotland/United Kingdom pavilion, a joint sponsorship project funded by the Department of Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Department for Business & Trade (DBT), Seafish and Seafood Scotland.
The Ace Aquatec team was also be visiting various key Japanese aquaculture producers with partners from the British Embassy in Tokyo and Scottish Development International.
In that sense, McGregor said: “Our A-Biomass cameras are helping farmers optimize feed and growth rates and transform the way they monitor their salmon stock. Over the course of our visit to Japan we hope to not only nurture our connections in this crucial region but also introduce the A-Biomass device to a new market, in line with our ambitions of bringing Scottish technology to the aquaculture industry on a global scale”.
First installation in Spain
In the other hand, Ace Aquatec’s award-winning Humane Stunner Universal (A-HSU) will be used at Piszolla’s open pond farming site in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, marking its first venture into the Spanish market as the Dundee-based company continues to expand the presence of its innovative humane stunning products in Europe.
Piszolla, which was acquired by Aqualande in 2018, produces approximately 5,000 tons of trout per year which are supplied year-round to markets across Europe and also provides high-end smoked trout, a premium product sold to major supermarket chains.
With demand for ethically harvested fish growing in Europe, the installation reflects a growing trend towards higher standards of welfare in Spain and the Mediterranean region – a movement which Ace Aquatec’s technology is helping to facilitate. Ace Aquatec’s A-HSU device stuns fish unconscious in less than a second, minimizing handling requirements and thereby reducing stress for the fish, as well as enabling a safer and more efficient harvesting process.
Ace Aquatec and Piszolla’s relationship began at the 2022 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, and, with Europe likely to see the introduction of stronger welfare regulations in the coming years, the installation reinforces Piszolla’s position as trailblazers of more humane and sustainable practices in the Spanish trout farming industry.
Julio Hernandez, Regional Manager at Piszolla, said: “The installation of Ace Aquatec’s trout stunner will enable us not only to streamline our operations, but also to break new ground for animal welfare standards in Spain. We aspire to be pioneers of humane harvesting standards in this region, and this technology is set to have a huge impact for us in terms of generating high-quality, high-welfare and sustainable products for consumers globally”.
Tara McGregor-Woodhams, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Ace Aquatec, added: “Piszolla’s steadfast commitment to enhancing welfare standards in their Spanish site closely aligns with our ethos of providing humane and sustainable aquaculture solutions, and we’re excited to be helping them to pave the way towards humane slaughter in Spain. Julio leads a forward-thinking, progressively minded team who are at the forefront of change in the region, and we’re looking forward to seeing where this new partnership will lead us”.
Their first installation in Spain adds to Ace Aquatec’s growing global presence, joining existing partnerships in Greece, Chile and Australia, amongst others.
