Intelligence is artificial but the benefits are real, says Ace Aquatec

Dundee-based fish farming technology Ace Aquatec says it’s AI-equipped A-Harvestcam is bringing greater commercial certainty to primary processing, following its adoption in salmon processing facilities in Scotland and Chile.

Using computer vision, the device automatically counts and weighs harvested fish while assessing weight distribution, quality, and harvest performance.

This, says Ace Aquatec, gives processors earlier insight into differences between stocks, allowing them to adapt production, optimise yield, and allocate product to the most valuable markets.

Feedback to pens

The Harvestcam can also feed harvest data to the company’s in-water A-Biomass cameras, reinforcing the ability of the cameras’ AI to accurately estimate weight of fish.

Using a patented method to compare what was estimated in the pen with what is measured at harvest, Ace Aquatec’s weight-estimation algorithms can be continually refined, helping producers improve biomass accuracy and plan future harvests with greater confidence. 

The Harvestcam is already being used by Scottish salmon producer Scottish Sea Farms, and seafood processor Aquascot, which supplies Waitrose. A number of salmon companies in Chile also use Harvestcam.

“What A-Harvestcam really gives processors is a much clearer picture of the weight, volume, and quality of fish moving through their lines, so they can get more from every harvest,” said Ace Aquatec’s chief sales and marketing officer, Tara McGregor-Woodhams.

“Because they can see what’s coming through in real time, they can give secondary processors a much better sense of what’s heading their way, helping everyone plan ahead, make more informed sales decisions and ultimately get the best value from every fish.

“What’s particularly exciting for us is that the value of that data doesn’t end at processing. It gives us a reliable ground-truth that we can feed back into our in-pen biomass intelligence, creating a continuous learning loop from pen to harvest.”

The Harvestcam can be used across harvest, grading, and transfer lines, with different fish sizes and species.

Ace Aquatec said that as a fully agnostic technology, the system seamlessly integrates with existing processing lines, stunners, and infrastructure from any manufacturer. It also supports post-harvest traceability and automated reporting for processors and certification bodies.

Andrew Davie, head of aquaculture at Alness-based Aquascot, said: “The camera gives us real-time understanding of the raw materials and head-on gutted fish coming through our line. It will help us truly quantify the difference between stocks and ultimately help us realise the maximum yield that we can.”