FiiZK’s closed waiting pens prevent disease spread in aquaculture

Fish from fish farms are generally transported alive to onshore slaughter facilities, which often do not have the capacity to process each haul as it arrives. Therefore, fish must often wait in designated pens.

These processing facilities can act as disease hotspots, with sea lice or pathogens spreading from one waiting pen to another. These can also spread to live fish carriers, which in turn can bring disease back to fish farms.

To avoid this risk, fish are sometimes held on board live fish carriers. This is less than optimal for fish welfare, and increases the time and resources associated with live fish delivery. Unloading a haul typically takes an hour, but without the use of holding pens it can take up to half a day or more – tying up vessels needed for other operations.

FiiZK has developed the world’s most advanced closed waiting pens. The company’s patented solution includes a high-tech filtration system, which combines physical filtration and UV rays to completely disinfect all water entering or leaving the pen.

The closed pens provide optimal conditions for the fish and prevent emissions to the local marine ecosystem.

The pens have a capacity of up to 800 metric tons.

FiiZK’s closed waiting pens reduce the risk of disease spreading to the local ecosystem and nearby fish farms, while promoting good fish welfare.

The pens can also significantly reduce the time needed for delivering live fish to processing facilities, freeing live fish carriers to perform other important operations such as delousing.

Currently, only 17 per cent of the protein consumed worldwide comes from the ocean, but this figure is estimated to rise to 40 per cent by 2050. The demand for solutions that increase production efficiency while reducing environmental impact is expected to grow in the years to come.

Established in 2009, FiiZK is a leading provider of sea lice protection equipment to the Norwegian aquaculture industry. The company launched its first holding pen in 2015 and has experienced a steady increase in demand. FiiZK also supplies closed fish tanks for marine and land-based aquaculture.