‘AI will transform seafood’

Delivering the keynote address at the 2024 edition of the Responsible Seafood Summit, this year held in St Andrews, Scotland, Van der Kuyl said: “We live in a time of the fastest pace of change in human history, yet it will never be this slow again.”

He told the conference that in 1965, Gordon Moore, one of the founders of Intel, stated that for the next decade, the density of silicon chips would roughly double every 18 months. He said that while observers at the time thought Moore’s prediction was wildly optimistic, it transpired that it wasn’t just right for that time period, but it still holds firm today, almost 60 years later.

“With the rise of technology solutions applied to the design and manufacturing of silicon, this piece of change will only come faster and faster. We’ve witnessed an unprecedented acceleration of pace of change, one that shows no signs of slowing. Over the past 60 years, ‘Moore’s Law’, as it’s known, has driven exponential growth in technology’s capabilities. And now this acceleration is poised to increase even further.

“The future promises even faster innovation – reshaping industries and societies at speed we’ve never before experienced. And this can be both exciting and utterly terrifying and equal measure.”

Noting that it took less than two decades from the launch of the worldwide web in the mid-1990s for e-commerce “to become all pervasive”, Van der Kuyl pointed out that the world’s largest and most successful companies are now based on innovation and knowledge rather than on traditional assets or industries.

“We’re at a point where no business will thrive, or possibly even survive, if it doesn’t embrace all the opportunities that technology has to offer. Today, that pace of change [and] ushering in of disruptive business models is happening in the space of a year or two, and in some cases, a matter of months.”

AI is a discipline that Van der Kuyl professes a lot of love for, but he also highlighted that AI tools such as ChatGPT, DeepMind and protein folding are not the result of new science, but of science that’s “finally been made useful” by Moore’s Law.

“The science has existed for decades,” he said. “Enormous resources in cloud computing have meant that people all over the world have access to almost limitless computing power at the click of a mouse.”

Tech investments

Using Minecraft royalties, Van der Kuyl and Paddy Burns (his business partner and friend of over 40 years) established Chroma Ventures in 2021. This investment company channels capital into a range of early-stage and established businesses.

The aim, Van der Kuyl said, was to look for innovative companies and industries “where the true effects of the technology revolution had not yet been felt”, and to seek opportunities to disrupt through the introduction of transformational, data-driven products. They quickly determined aquaculture was the “perfect sector” to work in.

Today, the portfolio includes aquaculture technology company Ace Aquatec, which specialises in such solutions as in-water electric stunners, automated waterjet bleeding, gentle and contactless pumping, predator deterrents, 3D biomass cameras and sea lice removal systems.

“Aquaculture has grown dramatically in recent decades and now provides a half of all seafood – a share that will likely increase as wild fish struggles to meet the rising demand. It’s one of the fastest growing food production sectors. Aquaculture is key to feeding a global population expected to reach nearly 10 billion by 2050.”

Van der Kuyl continued: “With overfishing affecting the sustainability of our oceans, the need for efficient, sustainable and scaled food production systems is clear. And to elevate the industry, embracing AI and digital technologies is critical. AI-powered aquaculture presents a significant investment opportunity, as it has the potential to drive on the most transformative advancements in food production.”

Data utilisation

Acknowledging that like any rapidly expanding industry, aquaculture still faces significant challenges, Van der Kuyl said it’s “crucial” productivity is balanced with environmental impacts, with poorly-managed farms potentially leading to water pollution, disease outbreaks and high fish mortalities.

He added that ensuring fish health, detecting diseases early and managing stress levels are essential and difficult undertakings, especially as farms scale-up, while optimising feed and monitoring biomass in real time are also complex tasks that are traditionally done manually, making them expensive and error-prone.

“Farms generate vast amounts of data from sensor streaming systems and environmental monitors. However, much of this data remains totally underutilised due to a lack of tools to turn into actionable insights. And this is where AI comes into play, combined with advanced sensors, cameras and machine lightning algorithms, it’s going to offer real in time, real time insights operations enhance sustainability and improve profitability.

“Here’s how,” Van der Kuyl said. “AI systems use cameras and sensors to track fish behaviour, size and movement, detecting signs of stress, illness and parasitic infestations like sea lice at really early stages. This allows farmers to act quickly, reducing mortality and minimising the use of antibiotics.

“AI analyses fish behaviour in real time, determining optimal feed times and amounts. This reduces overfeeding and under-feeding, improving water quality, cutting waste and boosting fish growth. And instead of manual sampling, AI-powered vision systems estimate biomass in real time, providing accurate data for managing growth rates, optimising feeding schedules and planning harvests. And then finally, AI helps monitor water quality – oxygen levels, temperature, pH are easy to measure with sensors, and using that data to alert farms to unfavourable conditions allows for immediate action. AI can even predict future environmental changes, enabling proactive measures to protect fish stocks.

“By leveraging AI, aquaculture can address its biggest challenges, ensuring more sustainable and profitable future,” he said.

Industry shaping

With a global seafood market that’s projected to reach a value of US$ 245 billion by 2027, fuelled by rising consumer demand, and with wild-catches constrained, aquaculture is an appealing space for investors, Van der Kuyl confirmed.

As a first mover, investing into AI-powered aquaculture offers early entry into this rapidly expanding sector, while those who support the technology infrastructure that will shape the future of fish farming stand to gain competitive edge and long-term growth potential. Furthermore, AI-driven aquaculture also aligns with the growing tendency for environmental, social, and governance (ESG) factors to drive investment and influence investment decisions, he said.

“The companies that embrace this – offering solutions that reduce environmental impact, enhance animal welfare and support global food security – represent a strong opportunity for financial returns while contributing to sustainability and ethical practices.

“That point of data driven decision making is all absolutely key. AI thrives on data, transforming it into actionable insights. This enables AI-driven agriculture businesses to optimise every aspect of operations, from feed management to disease prevention, making them more efficient, profitable and resilient. Several leading companies are already paving the way in this space, making it a primary moment for investors to get involved.”

Explaining the investment in Scottish-based Ace Aquatec, Van der Kuyl said the company was already championing breakthrough welfare technologies like in-water, electric stunning and environmentally responsible acoustic systems to tackle often controversial issues like predation, humane slaughter and fish health with innovative solutions.

“Ace Aquatec wasn’t just focused on the present, they were shaping an exciting digital future. The hardware systems began generating real time data, offering farmers insights to monitor fish health and growth. Even more impressive, AI-powered systems started aiding decision-making by detecting early signs of disease or stress and allowing for early interventions that dramatically reduce mortality rates. This advanced technology not only protects fish welfare, it enhances the sustainability and profitability of farms. By leveraging underwater cameras and machine learning algorithms, Ace helps farmers cut costs, boost yields and improves overall fish health.

“Embracing this future isn’t just a welfare imperative, is an economic one too. As I continue to learn more about your industry, I’m convinced we’re just at the start of an incredible journey. The future of aquaculture has immense potential, with AI-driven insights set to revolutionise the entire value chain.”

Revolutionising management

As for what’s on the horizon, Van der Kuyl suggested fish breeders could experiment with breeding techniques informed by vast AI datasets, while farmers could implement feeding programmes that are optimised by predictive algorithms. He also said feed companies might develop perfect ingredient points based on AI synthesis of cutting-edge research, while farm enclosures could be designed by computers that account for natural fish behaviours and novel material properties.

“The possibilities are boundless, limited only by our imagination. We’re merely scratching the surface of what’s possible. You can envision the future – fish farms that run with near total automation, with AI managing everything from feeding to health diagnostics and harvests – all controlled locally with drones and underwater robots gathering real-time data and conducting inspections.

“We’ve already seen similar advancements in terrestrial farming, where drones assess soil and water quality to optimise practices. With enough data, AI can forecast disease outbreaks well in advance by analysing environmental conditions, fish health indicators and regional trends, this predictive capability would revolutionise aquaculture management. It’s already happening in chicken and cattle farming.

“AI has the potential to bring precision farming to new heights. We’re seeing AI and agriculture giving care to individual plants, and a similar approach in aquaculture could allow each fish or group of fish to receive customised care – maximising their health, growth and profitability. As the global population expands to this 10 billion mark by 2050, sustainable food production will be critical. AI-driven systems will help aquaculture produce more fish with fewer resources, minimising environmental impact, and integrating AI with blockchain will ensure full traceability so consumers know their fish are sustainable. Some farms, like Loch Duart here in Scotland, are already pioneering that blockchain traceability.”

Van der Kuyl added: “Jacques Cousteau once said, ‘the sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever’, that incredible oceanographer’s words resonate so deeply today as we stand at the cusp of the new era in aquaculture, where innovation and technology offer powerful tools to both sustain and protect the wonders of our oceans.

“Just as Cousteau explored ocean depths with groundbreaking tools like the aqualung, we now find ourselves equipped with the immense potential of artificial intelligence. It’s not simply about increasing efficiency in fish farming, it’s about harnessing the power of AI to address some of those pressing challenges facing our planet, meeting food security needs of a burgeoning population, while preserving the health and vitality of our oceans for generations to come.”