AQUACULTURE
KNOWLEDGE-BASED FEEDING AND PLANNING SOLUTIONS FOR AQUACULTURE A new IT solution in Portugal, Greece and Cyprus could help aquaculture make informed decisions quickly and optimise fish feeding and production planning, writes Bonnie Waycott
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Tailored feeding strategies not only support healthier fish development but also enhance overall production efficiency and environmental sustainability Alexis Glaropoulos, i2s/aquaManager “Our focus is biological and nutrition modelling-based solutions for the aquaculture sector,” Ana Nobre, product manager at SPAROS, told WF. “We recognised the challenge for fish farmers in having to use lots of different types of software, and thought it would be interesting to work closely with i2s and explore together the synergies between the SPAROS digital nutrition expertise and their aquaManager fish farming systems, which are available for farms worldwide. “We began talking about joining forces and decided to start with applying fish growth models to create custom specific feeding rate (SFR) and feed conversion ratio (FCR) plans. Now, the consortium has combined its expertise on fish nutritional modelling, data analysis and predictive tools, fish production management systems, and industrial R&D to develop a platform that enables farmers to embrace
24 | MAY/JUNE 2025
Photo Credit: SPAROS
Over the years, information technology (IT) solutions have become crucial for aquaculture, offering benefits across all aspects of production, management and sustainability. Because the sector is also significantly diversified, with a range of activities underpinning species, feed production systems, disease, and new business structures, it must continue innovating to produce more seafood and meet the demands of the global population. By embracing new technologies, such as IT solutions, aquaculture can become more productive and sustainable, improving efficiency and optimising operations through data-driven decision making. SPAROS, a Portuguese small/midsize firm that offers new products and tailored nutritional solutions for aquaculture, is a firm believer in the potential of IT solutions, in particular digital nutritional tools. In 2023, the company formed a consortium known as The OptiFeeSH consortium with cloud-based data management and data analytics firm Blue Analytics, i2s (Integrated Information Systems)/ aquaManager, which specialises in software technology, data analytics, sensors and data loggers for aquaculture, and Portuguese land-based flatfish producer Flatlantic. The goal of the consortium is to develop a solution for optimal fish feeding and production.
a more scientific, data-driven approach to feeding and production management.” Gap in the market Following the consolidation of the aquaculture management software space over the last decade, nonintegrated tools targeting precision farming are currently booming, the consortium explained. These are based on technologies such as underwater cameras, echo sounders, sensors and image processing algorithms for specific monitoring. However, a practical solution for on-farm feed use optimisation is non-existent in the global market. Productivity in aquaculture is heavily influenced by feed and feeding practices, but despite their importance, significant gaps persist in feeding management across many aquaculture systems, said Alexis Glaropoulos, Consultant at i2s/aquaManager. Feeding decisions are still largely based on subjective visual assessments, he said, such as the speed of feed consumption, surface activity of the fish, and occasional gut content analysis. These methods often lead to manual, reactive adjustments in feeding rates, which can be inconsistent and inefficient. However, recent advances in aquaculture technology offer promising solutions. “Automated feeding systems, real-time monitoring tools, and data-drive models make it possible to optimise feeding strategies, simulate ideal production
n The OptiFeeSH consortium has developed a platform that enables fish farmers to embrace a more scientific, datadriven approach to feeding and production management
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