A new project called PREFISHFARM will transform the IRFAP LIMIA production facilities in Puerto de Andratx. This project is a collaboration between two international companies, Aqüicultura Balear, SAU (Cooke Spain) and FishFarmFeeder (Feeding Systems S.L.), together with two research institutions: IRFAP LIMIA and the Institut Mediterrani d’Estudis Avançats (IMEDEA, CSIC-UIB). The project has been selected in the call for Public-Private Collaboration Projects of the Spanish State Plan for Scientific, Technical and Innovation Research 2021-2023 co-funded by the European Union. This call, with a total budget of 320 million euros, received more than 450 proposals, of which only 212 were selected.
With a fundable budget of 830,951.00 euros, PREFISHFARM will take advantage of the experimental farm of IRFAP LIMIA as a validation environment to develop and refine new applications of artificial intelligence (AI) in aquaculture. Through this infrastructure, the management of marine farms will be optimized, boosting their sustainability and efficiency. Focused on European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), PREFISHFARM will allow the evaluation and fine-tuning of advanced AI-based solutions in real conditions, facilitating their future application in the aquaculture sector.
PREFISHFARM will follow a Precision Aquaculture model, which uses AI to make fish feeding decisions in four stages:
- Monitoring: Intelligent sensors observe continuously.
- Prediction: Variables such as fish size and weight are estimated.
- Decision: The optimal daily feed ration is calculated, prioritizing fish health and environmental care.
- Performance: Food is delivered automatically through smart feeders.
This project will not only evaluate the effectiveness of this automated system against traditional methods, but will also adjust decisions based on the data collected. Its goal is to create a modern aquaculture that prioritizes production, profit, fish welfare and environmental sustainability.
