Smoltscreen developer wins more backing from angel investor
Full-scale trial of Scotland company's permeable salmon pen liners due to begin in Norway this year
Scotland-based fish farming innovator Salar Pursuits has successfully concluded a second corporate investment from Belgian angel investor Abacus Group. It follows Abacus Group’s first investment 12 months ago.
Salar Pursuits, run by Andrew and Colette Bett, has developed retrofit, permeable mesh net pen liners that let some water flow into pens but keep out all stages of sea lice, plankton and jellyfish that can harm farmed salmon.
The company has taken part in the Norwegian Institute of Marine Research JellySafe project, which proved the effectiveness of its combined mesh against the “barbed wire” jellyfish (Apolemia uvaria) and remains on track for full-scale trials in Norway in the next 6-8 months, for both its Smoltscreen™ and Bloomshield™ concepts. The designs are UK, India, and Chile patented and patent pending in Europe and Canada.
Trondheim-based Aquastructures AS, which developed the AquaSim analysis software, is conducting computer modelling and global analyses for the final performance and construction designs ahead of the Norway trials. The specification for the Smoltscreen and Bloomshield is for deployment into existing inshore farm sites, integrated within slightly adapted standard cage nets of cylinder, cone, or spaghetti shape.
Andrew Bett said that computer modelling indicates the enclosures will work well in tidal flows of up to 0.5 metres per second and with a maximum wave height of 1.5 metres, using existing pen collars and moorings.
He added that the combination of layers of nylon woven mesh provides a tensile strength more than 250% higher than standard 20 mm cage nets. The integration of the Smoltscreen or Bloomshield within standard cage nets more than doubles the total strength of the enclosure.
UV treated
All the nylon mesh will be UV treated, maintaining the strength parameters of the mesh construction. Aquastructures AS is conducting audits of the consortium suppliers to achieve the NYTEK23 and NS9415 certification.
Salar Pursuits said the Smoltscreen meets all the criteria of the Norwegian Department of Fisheries Environmental Flexibility Scheme and is expected to be a strong contributor to the desired environmental and sustainability objectives of the Norwegian Government’s recently published White Paper on fish farming.
The Bloomshield is suited to all sites threatened with sea lice, micro and macro jellyfish (including Apolemia) and toxic algal blooms, where bio-resource fish waste is not required to be collected.
Being deployed and integrated into the inside of the cage net allows the Smoltscreen and Bloomshield to be easily cleaned on a weekly basis with trackless remotely operated vehicle (ROV) cleaners. With projected 20% minimum natural inflow, the water exchange, all fully filtered through the mesh enclosure, is maintained every 90 minutes with mixer pumps positioned inside central HDPE pipes, exiting over the floating collar.
“We are pleased that the R&D progress in our two systems continues to receive the encouragement and support of Abacus Group,” said Andrew and Colette Bett. “In the forthcoming full-scale trials in Norway we look forward to demonstrating the ease of operation of our systems in existing farm sites and most particularly the provisions for pen cleaning and water exchange to meet full commercial scale stocking densities, combined with optimum fish health and welfare.”
