Cermaq's iFarm is granted a full permit for food production

The Norwegian Directorate of Fisheries has decided that the iFarm project of Cermaq and its technology partner, BioSort, has met all measurement criteria for granted development permits. As a result, the four permits can now be converted into ordinary “food fish” production permits.

The iFarm project has developed state of the art technology to monitor the status of individual fish, with the aim of improving the management of their health and welfare, and reducing environmental impact.

Snorre Jonassen, Regional Director for Cermaq Nordland, said: “We are proud that the Directorate of Fisheries recognizes the project and the potential of the technology that we have developed together with our partner BioSort and many employees at Cermaq. This is an important step towards creating a more sustainable aquaculture with better fish welfare and environmental adaptation.”

The Directorate of Fisheries assesses that the project has delivered on:

• Developing sensor chamber with recognition technology (machine vision) to count lice and record other parameters such as welfare indicators and growth parameters on individual fish.
• Successfully developing individual fish recognition in the cage over time, which can be used to develop individual health records for each individual  
• Collecting data on the fish in the cage through all life stages that make up a production cycle from release to slaughter
• Developing a prototype for a gentle sorting mechanism for fish to facilitate sorting of individuals with predefined characteristics, as well as a solution for post-sorting infrastructure.

Cermaq says the iFarm technology has shown promising results in several production cycles and is highlighted as a solution that can strengthen the sustainability of the Norwegian aquaculture industry. As part of the conversion process, the four food fish permits will be located in Nordland.  

Jonassen concluded: "We would also like to thank our technology partner, BioSort, for their good collaboration and will contribute to further commercialising the technology.”