Digital aquaculture

To help manage strict environmental regulations and meet consumer demand for product quality and traceability, Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett has increasingly relied on innovative technical and digital solutions.

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(Høvik, October 9, 2024) Located off the northern Norway’s spectacular west coast, Indre Kvarøy is a small island just south of the Arctic Circle. The rugged landscape and remote location hardly seem the place to find advanced technologies, but a closer look at the fish farming company Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett tells another story. As a pioneer in the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), blockchain and laser technologies, Kvarøy has emerged as an industry leader in sustainable fish farming.

According to Managing Director, Alf -Gøran Knutsen, the company’s embrace of new technologies has been driven by the company’s core mission: To offer salmon of very high quality without compromising the environment or the welfare of its fish. “Growing public concerns about the environment and the health of farmed fish have put pressure on the aquaculture to clean up its act,” he says. “Technology and digitalisation are tools we use not only to achieve our mission, but to meet the existing and future regulatory challenges in our industry.”

First mover

Like any “first mover”, not all of Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett’s investments have succeeded and adapting digital solutions to their business has required close collaboration with third party suppliers. “As a small family-owned company, we don’t have the resources, capacity or in-house expertise to develop sophisticated technologies ourselves, so we look for partners who share our vision for a more sustainable industry,” Knutsen says. “But once we identify a technology that we believe can help us, we move faster than most.”

Some of Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett’s more notable achievements include working with a Danish biotech company to develop a feed solution that includes protein rich microalgae, which not only produces healthier fish but is also less harmful to the marine environment. And to manage sea lice without using pesticides, Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett partnered with a Norwegian-based supplier to pilot the Stingray Laser system, which uses lasers to remove any opportunistic pests from the salmon’s scales, without harming the fish.

Going digital

Perhaps the most exciting development at Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett is the company’s embrace of digital solutions. In fact, the company is the first in the industry to use blockchain technology, providing consumers and food buyers access to unaltered data collected from the source. Working together with the Norwegian systems supplier Manolin, the company has installed a data intelligence platform which allows for easier access, analysis and utilisation of data, backed by AI machine learning.

Knutsen says that these digital tools help the company manage a broad range of business-critical issues, from sustainability reporting to product traceability, quality management to data inventory. “The system not only provides us with real-time visibility, it has also helped us achieve sustainable certifications, which help us differentiate our products from competitors.”

Setting the standard

Established in 2010, the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) is one of the world’s leading farmed seafood certification programmes. Working with NGOs, academics, farmers, retailers, experts, ASC has developed a comprehensive set of standards that include a Feed and a Chain of Custody Standard, thus covering the entire aquaculture supply chain, from “farm to fork.”

Companies seeking certification to ASC’s aquaculture standards are subject to yearly on-site audits from third-party certification bodies, covering environmental, social and animal welfare issues.  Audits include interviews with workers and surrounding communities and in some cases, the standard includes lab analysis of samples of feed, additives, sediments and products.

“The ASC label is a stamp of quality,” explains Knutsen.  “Our packaging includes a QR code that allows consumers to gain access to information about every step in the value chain, so they know where their salmon comes from, how it’s raised and what’s in it. And because our data intelligence platform collects information in real time, it is easier to make information more readily available to auditors. And with easier access to data, stakeholders gain clearer transparency and understanding of our sustainability performance, which helps us build trust, and make more informed decisions.”

Beyond compliance

Kvarøy also partners with certification suppliers like DNV to provide third party verification.  Per Lyslo Kristiansen, DNV’s Key Customer Manager for Aquaculture says that Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett’s forward thinking approach to sustainability goes beyond compliance. “Kvarøy has been certified with ASC salmon standard, the MSC & ASC Chain of Custody certification, GLOBALG.A.P. Integrated Farm Assurance (Aquaculture) and GLOBALG.A.P. chain of custody standard,” he says. “But to qualify as a supplier to some of their biggest customers in Europe and the US, they have had to go one step further.”

Knutsen says that to supply to high end retailers, having access to a comprehensive data management system has played a key role.  For example, Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett’s ability to track, analyse and report on different sustainability elements has played an important role in its long-term relationship with Whole Foods Market, the US based multinational supermarket chain. "In partnering with Whole Foods, we found not only a market for quality fish, but a shared commitment to sustainability,” says Knutsen. "This collaboration not only enabled us to meet their rigorous standards but also inspired us to continually innovate and improve our practices to minimise our impact on the environment.”

Knutsen says the company’s digital journey has also opened up new opportunities in other areas. “When it comes to digitalisation, we see that we have only scratched the surface,” he says. “For example, through the use of cleaner and more comprehensive in-field data, we are in a better position to support aquaculture research, especially related to fish feed, a major issue in our industry,” he says. “Our approach when it comes to new technologies or digital solutions is simple: If it can help us produce fish of the highest quality and become a more sustainable company, we are willing to give it a try.”

About Kvarøy Arctic (Kvarøy Fiskeoppdrett)

Kvarøy Arctic is a third-generation family-owned sustainable salmon farm located on the island of Kvarøy in Norway. Known for their commitment to sustainable aquaculture, Kvarøy Arctic produces high-quality, sustainably raised Atlantic salmon. They are a member of the Global Salmon Initiative and adhere to the Aquaculture Stewardship Council’s (ASC) rigorous standards, ensuring minimal environmental impact and a focus on fish welfare. Kvarøy Arctic's innovative practices include using non-GMO feed, enhancing fish health and nutrition, and collaborating with technology partners to improve farming methods and reduce environmental footprints.

About DNV

DNV is one of the world’s leading certification bodies. Through management system certification and training services, DNV helps companies manage risks, assure compliance and sustainable performance of organizations, people and value chains across all types of industries. With a specific focus on the food, beverage and aquaculture sectors, DNV helps companies tackle food safety, sustainability, environmental and quality challenges from farm to fork. 
Driven by its purpose, to safeguard life, property, and the environment, DNV’s digitally enabled certification services help customers be transparent and build trust in their own operations and toward stakeholders.