The document describes an automated feeding control system for salmon farms that uses oxygen saturation levels to determine when fish are hungry and should be fed. It aims to reduce feed costs, which account for 50% of production costs, by more accurately matching feeding to the appetite levels of the fish. The system will connect to automated feeding mechanisms and signal when to start and stop feeding based on changes in dissolved oxygen during feeding sessions. It is expected to improve feed conversion ratios and growth rates while reducing labor costs and environmental impacts.

1. APPETITE BASED FEEDING CONTROL SYSTEM
Keywords: oxygen saturation, feed, salmon, fish, farming
Background
Feed cost accounts for approximately 50 percent of the total production cost in the salmon
farming industry. By introducing knowledge on the relationship between fish feeding
behaviour and sea water oxygen saturation, an automated feeding system will make a major
contribution for enhancement of the fish farming industry. The Automatic Appetite Based Feeding
Control System for Aquaculture Farming Industry project has a strong academic foundation, and is
fortunate to be situated in the world leading sea-farming regions, Stavanger and Bergen.
Description
Cage fish farmes are continuosly looking for ways to increase production efficiency. Reducing
feed cost is one of their top priorities as it is the single most costly factor. Effeceint feeding
today relies on experienced farmes using manual input from videocameras to start and stop
feeding. An unpredictable method as fish are often not observable due to dept distribution and
poor water transparency. The sub optimal efficinecy will also vary greatly between different
farmers. Previous atempts to automate the process have not been sucecessfull, among other
using pellet counters in the bottom of the cages.
Applications and benefits
The cage salmon farming industry will be provided with an “intelligent” feeding software
program that selects the amount of feed and feed supply rate. The process is to estimate
appetitive behaviour and feeding behaviour of the fish from changes in saturation of dissolved
oxygen during feeding sessions. The software will be connected to automated feeding systems
and signal feeding start and stop. The benefits of the system are:
- Reducing feed cost through improved feed conversion
ratios
- Improving growth rate through ensuring sufficient feeding
in situations when fish appetite is higher that assumed, but
fish-feeding behaviour is not easily observed by surface
observations
- Reducing labour cost through automation
- Reducing pollution and eutrophication through reduced
feed wastage
- Partly unpredictably and fish are often not observable due
to deep distribution and poor water transparency
Figure Farmed salmon.
Status
- Technology verification
IPR
Patent pending internationally, granted in Norway
We are seeking licensing partners.