Netherlands kingfish farmer will test out AI biomass camera

Canadian aquaculture technology company ReelData and land-based fish farmer The Kingfish Company will partner to trial ReelData’s artificial intelligence (AI) enabled biomass camera, ReelWeight, at The Kingfish Company site in Zeeland, Netherlands.

The companies said the project is the first of its kind to adapt existing AI weighing technology to kingfish (Seriola lalandi) to allow for accurate average weight estimation and weight distribution.

The ReelWeight camera, designed, developed and manufactured by Nova Scotia-based ReelData, already has the capability to measure salmonid species ranging from 25g to over 7kg, and users benefit from ReelWeight’s ‘individual fish recognition’ that allows sample estimates compiled from unique measurements rather than repeated measurements of the same fish. ReelData says this allows for a much more robust and accurate average weight estimate and weight distribution of the population.

Adding capability

Gareth Butterfield, commercial director for ReelData, said: “We look forward to working closely with The Kingfish Company team over the coming months, and are excited about the opportunity to continue to develop the ReelWeight technology by expanding into an additional species, and adding even more capability to the ReelWeight camera.”

ReelData said it has undertaken several commercial tests with ReelWeight throughout 2024 and now has several installations planned for Atlantic salmon and Arctic char facilities across Europe, North America and Chile. The Zeeland facility will be the first kingfish deployment.

Bram Rohaan, head of production at The Kingfish Company, said: “We eagerly anticipate the insights this innovation will bring, empowering us to fine-tune our productivity. At The Kingfish Company, our relentless pursuit of excellence in genetics, nutrition, and operational management makes a detailed understanding of growth performance absolutely vital.”

ReelData, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, provides a suite of AI and automation products that allow land-based fish farms to increase productivity and profitability while decreasing risk.