by
Tore Laastad and Pål Herstad, Steinsvik, Norway
Steinsvik is a global company specialised in delivering products and solutions to the aquaculture industry and is the market leader in camera systems for monitoring fish behaviour. The feeding cameras have been the core of Steinsvik’s business since 1985.
This success has laid the foundation for the company’s expansion into feeding systems, barges, software and various other products used by fish farmers around the globe every day. The cameras will also be at the forefront of the evolution in fish farming together with software systems and high-speed Internet connections for the individual farms, allowing for the gathering and transfer of data to off site or “cloud” systems.
The underwater eye
The first camera was built in 1985, but the well-known underwater-eye design didn’t see the light of day until 1990. Salmon farming was still in its infancy, with smaller cages, fewer fish, and a more simplistic approach to feeding.
Most farmers relied on manual observation of surface activity to gauge the fish’s appetite; few saw the emerging need for a sub-surface eye to observe them. The struggle to gain market share was twofold as the farmers’ needed convincing and the product needed improvement.
Developing momentum
In 1992, the well-known look emerged. The idea behind it was an eye below water. The camera was able to rotate 360 degrees vertically and horizontally, giving the farmer the ability to monitor feeding behaviour over a large area. Customer Feedback showed a substantial potential for optimising the amount of feed to be fed for every meal. More often than not, farmers were underfeeding their fish by following a set-feeding schedule. This could manifest itself in a high feed conversion rate, in itself a good indicator of the pellets being consumed, but hid the fact that there was a potential for faster growth and larger fish at harvest.
A focus on cameras
So far, Steinsvik have delivered more than 12,000 cameras. There are cameras currently in use that were delivered back in 1998! This is an 18-year life span to date for electronic equipment submerged in seawater—and herein lies the key to Steinsvik success.
A clear image, and user-friendly controls are not enough— the product has to work, day in and day out, year after year, in ever changing conditions. Salmon farmers rely upon the images to be able to feed the exact amount to ensure maximum growth and reduce waste.
Read the full article in the International Aquafeed magazine online, HERE.
Steinsvik is a global company specialised in delivering products and solutions to the aquaculture industry and is the market leader in camera systems for monitoring fish behaviour. The feeding cameras have been the core of Steinsvik’s business since 1985.
This success has laid the foundation for the company’s expansion into feeding systems, barges, software and various other products used by fish farmers around the globe every day. The cameras will also be at the forefront of the evolution in fish farming together with software systems and high-speed Internet connections for the individual farms, allowing for the gathering and transfer of data to off site or “cloud” systems.
The underwater eye
The first camera was built in 1985, but the well-known underwater-eye design didn’t see the light of day until 1990. Salmon farming was still in its infancy, with smaller cages, fewer fish, and a more simplistic approach to feeding.
Most farmers relied on manual observation of surface activity to gauge the fish’s appetite; few saw the emerging need for a sub-surface eye to observe them. The struggle to gain market share was twofold as the farmers’ needed convincing and the product needed improvement.
Developing momentum
In 1992, the well-known look emerged. The idea behind it was an eye below water. The camera was able to rotate 360 degrees vertically and horizontally, giving the farmer the ability to monitor feeding behaviour over a large area. Customer Feedback showed a substantial potential for optimising the amount of feed to be fed for every meal. More often than not, farmers were underfeeding their fish by following a set-feeding schedule. This could manifest itself in a high feed conversion rate, in itself a good indicator of the pellets being consumed, but hid the fact that there was a potential for faster growth and larger fish at harvest.
A focus on cameras
So far, Steinsvik have delivered more than 12,000 cameras. There are cameras currently in use that were delivered back in 1998! This is an 18-year life span to date for electronic equipment submerged in seawater—and herein lies the key to Steinsvik success.
A clear image, and user-friendly controls are not enough— the product has to work, day in and day out, year after year, in ever changing conditions. Salmon farmers rely upon the images to be able to feed the exact amount to ensure maximum growth and reduce waste.
Read the full article in the International Aquafeed magazine online, HERE.
The Aquaculturists
This blog is maintained by The Aquaculturists staff and is supported by the
magazine International Aquafeed which is published by Perendale Publishers Ltd
For additional daily news from aquaculture around the world: aquaculture-news
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