Revamping aquaculture farming with innovation and technology

TRADITIONAL methods of farming have been fairly effective in supplying the world with food. But the use of pesticides, fertilisers and toxic chemicals means the industry has also earned a reputation for not always being friendly to the environment.

Blue Aqua International is looking to shake up the methods of farming fish and shrimp by using technological innovation and digitalisation to improve protocols and processes in the industry, said chief executive and co-founder Farshad Shishehchian.

The company covers the entire aquaculture ecosystem: from fishmeal replacements and feedmills, to farm care and nutrition, farming, as well as food supply. And along this entire chain, Blue Aqua is exploring ways to produce food with no discount to the conservation of nature.

The company's position allows it to oversee the "entire process" to ensure transparency and traceability, said Shishehchian. The company is also using blockchain technology to make the tracking process more efficient and less labour intensive.

One-stop solution

Back in 2009, Blue Aqua only had farm care products, namely minerals and probiotics for water treatment purposes, under its brand. Over the years, however, the company noticed changing trends and consumer demands, and diversified its business accordingly.

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Blue Aqua has also grown its presence quickly across different markets, and today has 5 farms across Singapore, Indonesia and Oman. Over the past decade, the company has established interests in different areas; such as consulting services and turnkey solutions for farms, and lab capabilities to detect farm diseases.

Of the 3 farms it runs in Singapore, the company's shrimp hatchery has 5 species of shrimp, and a capacity of 100 million post-larvae annually.

Meanwhile, Blue Aqua's cage farm for fish here is able to produce 300 tonnes of food fish per year, while the farm for fish and shrimp can produce 600 tonnes of food fish and 120 tonnes of shrimp per year.

The company also has a retail brand that sells fish and shrimp to grocery stores and restaurants around Singapore.

Today, Blue Aqua has a "closed-loop" aquaculture ecosystem. The company collects food waste from airport services provider Dubai National Air Travel Agency (dnata). The food waste is then processed and fed to insects. These insects are then combined with algae to form a protein that can be used in place of fishmeal. This protein is then supplied to fish and shrimp farms.

Blue Aqua's end-to-end presence means the company is able to track processes across the chain of operations. This has become more critical as consumers have become more informed.

Shishehchian recalls how in the past, consumers would just accept products without questioning where they came from. Today, consumers are paying more attention to where their food is coming from, the amount or types of chemicals used, as well as social factors such as animal welfare or child labour at farms.

As things stand today, he believes the farming industry is not yet ready to answer all these questions, but the use of big data and analytics could go a long way in helping farmers better understand the processes in farms, which would put them in a better position to address such concerns from consumers.

Demand has also been strong, Shishehchian added. He recalls a significant pick-up in demand in Singapore when the Jurong Fishery Port was closed due to the Covid-19 cluster there. Fish and shrimp were sold out quickly, and Blue Aqua struggled to keep up with demand.

He expects the need for sustainable aquaculture will grow alongside the global population. In his view, companies like Blue Aqua will have to do their part to ensure that enough resources are available for future generations - especially since available livestock is on the decline.

Easier and more efficient

While farming is one of the oldest trades, Shishehchian is quick to stress the importance of using big data and technology to improve processes. Blue Aqua has already begun this journey, but there are still several "grey areas" for the industry at large, he said, adding that there is an urgent need for companies to play catch up.

Blue Aqua already has a few initiatives and solutions of its own.

One of the group's trust platforms, which is powered by the blockchain solution VeChain ToolChain, was built to empower end consumers in attaining full traceability in the company's supply chain.

Blue Aqua has also partnered with Hitachi Asia to use blockchain technology to track carbon take-up or emissions from aquaculture in farms. The technology also integrates microgrid energy technology into its Singapore farms. The energy can then be exported throughout Blue Aqua's global network.

The company is also using artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communications technology (ICT) in its farms. Shishehchian said that the main idea is to replicate his knowledge of the farms within these systems, so that the knowledge can be passed on to others.

Having spent 30 years in the aquaculture industry, Shishehchian said he has amassed a fair bit of expertise. One look at water levels or the colour of shrimps at hatcheries, and he would be able to tell if there is something wrong. But not every farmer will be able to do so.

Using AI, Blue Aqua and other farmers can compile huge amounts of data and "teach the machines" how to analyse the findings. With this, machines can either detect a problem and rectify it, or prevent the problem from happening altogether.

AI is a step further compared to automation, said Shishehchian. Automation gets a task, such as feeding shrimp or fish, but the system is unable to differentiate between right and wrong. AI, meanwhile, allows a machine to make judgements without the need for human intervention.

Blue Aqua has a patented methodology for super-intensive farming of shrimp. The Mixotrophic system helps farms achieve an optimal environment by getting rid of environmental resistance and waste, and cuts energy consumption and risks of disease outbreaks. The system is currently used by 4,000 farmers across Asia, South America and the United States.

Shishehchian said aquaculture farmers are faced with a myriad of challenges, including deteriorating water quality and disease outbreaks.

The tools Blue Aqua provides, he said, help farmers manage the environment of their cultured aquatic animals, optimise the aquatic animals' growth and health, and increase the overall productivity of the farm.

But Shishehchian is quick to warn that not all "tech solutions" will be helpful to the aquaculture industry.

He noted there have been several ideas that have surfaced, but were eventually not applicable to companies in the industry. One of the issues is the high cost of implementing technology in farms, which could include hiring several engineers or buying machinery.

The factors that are critical for a solution to work are the cost of technology, and the ability to commercialise and industrialise the solution in farms.

Adapting to change

While Blue Aqua is actively looking for ways to further digitalise operations, Shishehchian said the industry at large still has some way to go. In his view, it will be tough for traditional farmers to survive for long if they fail to use technology sufficiently.

"It's going to be very complicated for them, because of all the automation that they don't have access to. (They) need to go with the technology and the flow of modern times," he said.

For instance, weather conditions that affect the growth of livestock or crops could affect farmers' earnings if they are unable to use technology or innovation to predict heavy rain or droughts.

Big data analytics will solve this problem as farmers will have the element of "predictability", said Shishehchian. "You'll have tons of data sensors, and a lot of information... Technology will help us predict the problems before they arise."

For the aquaculture industry, Shishehchian cited the example of pH values of water. When growing shrimp, tanks in hatcheries should have an optimal pH level, which varies with different species of shrimp.

Big data and AI will help raise flags when pH values of the water in certain tanks are heading out of the optimal range, and farmers can correct it before severe damage is done.

"In aquaculture, prevention is very important. Prevention is always less costly than treatment" said Shishehchian.

Apart from these, Blue Aqua has also adopted cleaner and greener practices at its farms. Solar power is generated through elevated solar panels at Blue Aqua's farms.

The power is then used to power farming equipment such as air blowers, water pumps, generators, and automatic feeding machines, while any remaining energy is stored back in the network for future usage.

• This is the sixth in a 20-part Green Business series, in collaboration with UOB, exploring sustainability trends across businesses and industries.