Canadian aquatech software provider ReelData will be kicking off the next phase of a trial with salmon farmer Cermaq at a pair of its land-based sites in British Columbia next month.

The companies have been working together to install and test ReelData's AI technology solutions at two of Cermaq's freshwater facilities, Boot Lagoon and Oceans. The trial is planned to run for several months and will be used to assess improved feeding efficiency care of ReelData's 'ReelAppetite' system.

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According to Gareth Butterfield, ReelData's commercial director, the system is designed to increase each fish's feeding opportunities and reduce leftover waste feed, improving feed conversion ratios, water quality and weight distribution among fish populations.

The firm said automated average weight and weight distribution measurements will be collected simultaneously via ReelWeight, an AI camera system designed specifically for land-based systems. Individual fish recognition will allow for more accurate sample weights.

The trial design by ReelData allows Cermaq to test the ReelAppetite system against standard feeding practices, whilst ReelWeight will be pitted against standard manual weighing practices in a head-to-head competition against AI.

"We are very satisfied with the progress of the trial," said Janusz Wicikowski, freshwater director for Cermaq Canada "The highly professional team of engineers from ReelData seamlessly integrated their equipment into our complex RAS [recirculating aquaculture] systems, and we look forward to starting the next phase."

The deployment in Cermaq Canada adds to the existing list of countries that ReelData supports, including Norway, Iceland, the Netherlands, and the US.

ReelData is currently in discussions for deployments in the UK, Chile and Australia, pursuing a long-term objective of being the top supplier of AI technology for land-based aquaculture, it said.