“We disagree with the Directorate of Fisheries that the concept is not innovative enough,” said Arne Ramstad of Albatros Technology.
In mid-June, Dutch Albatros Technology had nine development licenses rejected. The company was the first with a foreign address to applied for a development license.
The project AquaBarge is sea-based barge designed to farm salmon in a closed containment system, based on RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) technology.
The barge would have the following dimensions; length 195 metres, width 55 metres and depth 22 metres. Planned production is 10,000 tonnes per year.
The Directorate of Fisheries rejected the application on the grounds that the concept did not meet the condition of significant innovation. The Directorate showed, among other things, that both RAS and barge technology are known. On June 21, Arne Ramstad, Business Development Manager at Albatros Technology, said that an appeal was under review.
Confirms appeal
Ramstad has now confirmed to SalmonBusiness that the company wil appeal.
“The basis for the appeal is concentrated around the Directorate-General’s comparison with land-based RAS facilities,” said Ramstad.
The Directorate of Fisheries argued in their letter of rejection that they did not see that AquaBarge was an improvement compared to today’s land-based RAS plant.
“AquaBarge is the world’s first floating and closed system based on RAS technology. The facility has a unique and innovative internal layout, where all fishing is based on channels and gravity, “says Ramstad. “The solution must be adapted to the salmon” he added. According to him, fish welfare has been the driving force behind the technical solution.
“You can not ask the salmon to adapt to new technology, but you must make sure that the solution is adapted to the salmon.
“AquaBarge is a supplement to open pen farming in areas were open pen farming have challenges today. The same are valid for new planned land based facilities which require a large land area and new logistic to be capable to operate,” concluded Ramstad.
