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Partnership aims to boost efficiency and fish welfare through expanded ROV use in salmon farming

Responsible Seafood Advocate

Mowi works with Underwater Contracting for enhanced monitoring

fish welfare
To boost efficiency and fish welfare, Underwater Contracting (UCO) and Mowi are expanding the use of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology in salmon farming. Photo courtesy of Underwater Contracting and Mowi.

Underwater Contracting (UCO) and Mowi have announced a major expansion of their partnership, aimed at advancing the use of cutting-edge remotely operated vehicle (ROV) technology in salmon farming. The collaboration, which includes a 40 percent increase in ROV deployment across Mowi’s sites, will help both companies improve operational efficiency and fish welfare in aquaculture.

“UCO is proud to provide solutions that solve subsurface challenges not only in aquaculture but also across industries such as renewable energy, oil and gas and environmental surveying,” said Michael Bower, managing director at UCO. “Our research and development efforts, all based in Scotland, are key to delivering practical, useable solutions that enhance our customers’ operations.”

Mowi, the largest salmon farming company globally with operations in eight regions and an annual production of close to half a million tons of salmon, has been a longstanding partner of UCO since 2018. Specializing in ROV development and subsurface innovation, UCO provides tailored tools for mortality removal, net inspections and stock maintenance, enhancing safety and effectiveness for fish farmers.

Mowi has recently expanded its use of UCO’s “Foover” ROV systems, increasing its fleet to more than 25 units. These systems efficiently remove mortalities from net pens, helping maintain high welfare standards for salmon, especially during environmental challenges like jellyfish and harmful algae blooms. Acting as the “eyes and hands” underwater, the ROVs offer better camera quality, advanced tools and the ability to operate at depths unsafe for divers.

The next phase of UCO and Mowi’s partnership will enhance the Foover system to monitor and remove surface moribund fish. With Mowi Scotland achieving 96 percent superior-grade fish at harvest, this innovation aims to provide a reliable, humane system for euthanizing injured or unhealthy fish, further supporting optimal animal welfare standards.

“Fish welfare is one of the most important concerns in modern aquaculture,” said Jamie Smith, business development manager at UCO. “By combining our expertise with Mowi’s industry-leading practices, we believe we can develop solutions that set new benchmarks for fish welfare.”

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