First contract signed for innovative SmoothMove fish loading device
Canadian technology shown to keep salmon calm during commercial harvests in Norway
An innovative device that keeps farmed salmon calm during loading on to boats is being launched commercially after proving its worth in Norway.
The patent-pending SmoothMove was developed by Atlantic Canada company East Coast Innovation (ECI) and has been validated during multiple commercial harvests on board a Napier harvest vessel in Norway.
The SmoothMove 400 went into permanent operation aboard the vessel on January 28 this year and has been producing consistent results with no operational downtime, said ECI, which recently promoted its technology at Aquaculture UK in Glasgow.
Repeatable results
More than 4,000 tonnes of salmon were loaded for harvest in a single month using the SmoothMove, and farmers and operators are achieving repeatable, reliable results, demonstrating clear advantages of using the technology. A contract has been signed for continued use of the device.
“Throughout the test period with SmoothMove, we have seen positive aspects related to fish behaviour. Fish are calm throughout the process, making loading operations efficient,” Napier’s chief operations officer Kåre Andreas Cederström said.
ECI chief executive Joel Halse said: “The SmoothMove fish loading device was precision engineered to improve the critical interface between the fish population and the fish pumping system during transfers.
“Using the SmoothMove, we are able to load fish at lower densities and at a more consistent, desired rate. When the fish are kept in a calm state, it makes it faster and easier for farm and vessel crews to move the population.
“With the SmoothMove, we aim to transform all crowding events into safe handling events by eliminating the population’s exposure to risk.”
Six years in the making
After six years of research, millions of dollars of investment, continuous observation of fish behaviour, and the development of numerous prototypes - including early trials in New Brunswick, Canada, and Scotland - Halse says that by the autumn of 2025 the SmoothMove was producing strong results onboard the Norwegian Gannet factory ship.
When HavLine, the operator of the Gannet, ended operations at the close of 2025, ECI sought out partners willing to lead the next phase and bring the technology into full-time commercial operation.
“We are especially grateful to Napier, [salmon farmer] Mowi and their crews for taking an industry leadership role by supporting the validation trials and working together to bring the world’s first fish loading device into full-time operation for harvests in Norway. We are pleased to have signed our first contract for the SmoothMove,” said Halse, a former corporate engineer with New Brunswick-headquartered salmon farmer Cooke Aquaculture.
ECI said a significant initial data set was collected and analysed showing positive impacts on fish health when using the SmoothMove. Ongoing testing by fish health professionals will continue to expand understanding of those benefits.
“At East Coast Innovation, the team is thrilled to see a user-friendly tool now operating full time, helping farmers and operators keep their fish calm and safe during transfers,” the company said in a press release.
“Finding a practical solution for this critical stage of fish handling was never guaranteed. Today, the SmoothMove fish loading device has demonstrated its ability to improve efficiency while supporting the safe loading of fish around the world.”
