FishGLOBE closed fish farms for more sustainable marine aquaculture

Aquaculture can reduce overfishing and help to provide sustainable nutrition to a growing global population. However, large-scale growth of the aquaculture industry is hampered by problems such as sea lice, fish escapes and build-up of faeces and waste feed.

One way of mitigating these problems in salmon production is to use closed facilities.

FishGLOBE has developed a fully enclosed, mobile fish farming unit. The globe-shaped tank comes in different sizes, with the largest holding up to 30 000 m³ of seawater.

The water in the tank is replaced automatically twice an hour. The water is pumped from depths of 15 m or more – from below the “sea lice and disease belt”. The FishGLOBE tank thus not only provides a cleaner, healthier environment, but can also prevent sea lice from attaching to the skin of farmed salmon.

Because it is closed, the tank prevents fish escapes, eliminating risks to wild fish stocks. It also prevents surplus feed and faeces from accumulating in the water column, allowing for greater flexibility and higher density when it comes to placement of fish farms.

Studies done on post-smolt fish (fish weighing up to 1 kg) show that fish grown in closed systems tend to have higher weight and better resistance to sea lice.

Moreover, the FishGLOBE tank allows biological waste to be collected, providing valuable nutrients for use in other bio-based products, such as biogas and fertiliser.

The tank is made of 100 per cent recyclable polyethylene, and because it is mobile it can be easily redeployed and reused.

By 2050, it is expected that 40 per cent of protein consumed worldwide will come from the sea. A Blue Paper from the High Level Panel for a Sustainable Ocean Economy states that marine aquaculture offers the greatest potential gains for food production compared with capture fisheries because it does not have the same constraints.

FishGLOBE’s target markets are Australia, Canada, Chile, Norway and the UK. In Norway alone, the authorities estimate a five-fold increase in aquaculture by 2050.

A 3 500-m³ FishGLOBE tank is already in operation, with 10 000-m³ and 30 000-m³ models on the way.