OptoSwim
The first system using OptoSwim technology has been running at Lighthouse Caledonia's site at Strome, Loch Carron with Douglas Macleod, site manager, his team and Alan Dykes, Senior Biologist working closely with Sunil Kadri of OptoSwim Technologies Ltd., to assist in fine tuning the system for exercising fish. Sunil initially developed this concept with his co-founder Neill Herbert and then developed it further at Glasgow University via a Scottish Enterprise Proof of Concept project.
Initial results have been very promising and we are delighted that Sunil, a fish behaviourist, has just won the O2 X Awards Male Entrepreneur of the Year 2009 in recognition of the impressive innovation in bringing 2 areas of research together to find a solution for the industry - it's all about exercise, fish and flesh quality.
OptoSwim technology is designed to make salmon swim faster which means more efficient growth, better flesh quality and improved fish welfare. Earlier research had clearly demonstrated the benefits of exercise for farmed fish by pumping water round tanks and optimising their swimming. The challenge was to find a method to stimulate swimming that could operate in cage farms in the sea. The optomotor response is strong in schooling fish and can be triggered by the use of a 'disco ball'; a matrix of LED flashing on and off to create a moving stimuli which brings about a swimming response in the fish.
OptoSwim brings benefits to both the Company in terms of improved growth, better flesh quality, with increased muscle development and reduced FCR and benefits for the fish in terms of improved welfare. It is appreciated that the natural immune system of the fish works better with less stress.
Encouraging results have been seen at Strome this spring, providing a strong grounding for further development of the fish gym concept.
Alan Dykes will now be taking the project forward and we look forward to hearing news of progress in due course.
Details of the award presentation: http://o2-business.com/business/