Tunisian aquaculture start-up "AquaDeep" has won the Award for innovative practice in fisheries and aquaculture from the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the General Fisheries Commission for the Mediterranean (GFCM). The award was presented to the up-and-coming company as part of the "MedFish4Ever Awards 2023", a United Nations initiative to recognise regional innovation in fisheries and aquaculture. Recognised for its pioneering work in aquaculture research, the young company aims to help hatcheries and aquaculture facilities increase productivity and produce healthier fish while reducing their environmental footprint. Its products and services are primarily based on artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT). According to both FAO and CGPM, the future development of aquaculture in the Mediterranean, especially marine aquaculture, requires new technologies and innovations to drive transformative growth while ensuring its environmental, social and economic sustainability. Indeed, the Tunisian startup has developed a system for counting larvae and monitoring farm populations from day zero to the end of the production cycle. "The larval stage is particularly difficult. AquaDeep has spent three years working with seabass and seabream hatcheries to develop a product that qualitatively and quantitatively assesses larval populations, with the ultimate aim of reducing production costs, minimising the impact on surrounding ecosystems and increasing yields. The winning initiative uses a combination of sampling and artificial intelligence to accurately count larvae and, following successful results, the technology will be adapted for use in later stages of development. Such approaches can be implemented on farms throughout the Mediterranean," said a joint FAO and GFCM press release. Initiatives from Croatia, Cyprus, Morocco, Spain and the NGO Global Fishing Watch have also won MedFish4Ever Awards for their innovative fisheries and aquaculture practices. The winners will present their projects at two major scientific events: the International Symposium on Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences (SOFAS 2023) and the GFCM Forum on Fisheries Science in the Mediterranean and Black Seas (Fish Forum 2024).
Source: Agence Tunis Afrique Presse