Mowi and BIM conduct trial with Aquabyte systems in Ireland

After spending several years investigating the use of cameras for biomass estimation and enhancing fish welfare, BIM (Bord Iascaigh Mhara) has partnered with Mowi Ireland to test Aquabyte systems in Irish salmon farming.

 “We have recently installed two Aquabyte systems at one of our fish farms in the south-west of Ireland,” says Clara McGhee, Interim Seawater Director of Mowi Ireland, in a conversation with BIM’s Regional Environmental Officer, Geoff Robinson.

Promising initial findings

The trial at Mowi Ireland commenced during the autumn of 2025, and the initial findings are promising.

“It’s early days, but so far, we’ve been very impressed with the data and camera quality and the support we receive during setup and day-to-day operations from the Aquabyte team,” says Clara McGhee at Mowi.

Funded by BIM

The trial at Mowi Ireland, which is funded by BIM, allows the Irish salmon sector to test new AI-based camera technology that supports improved welfare and better production planning.

“We've been looking at the use of cameras for biomass, and maybe fish welfare, and after coming across Aquabyte we decided it would be a good idea to try out this system. We then looked for project partners, and that is where Mowi came in,” says Geoff Robinson at BIM.

Assisting production and planning

Capable of providing detailed data, the Aquabyte system supports production planning at the Mowi Ireland site.

“Having an average weight showing the growth trend, CV distribution and the buckets of the different weight categories has been really helpful as we start harvesting and select our passive grade panels,” says McGhee, also highlighting how the Aquabyte system accurately confirms the results of partial harvests:

“We took a harvest out of one of the pens with an Aquabyte camera the other day, and I was really excited to see that, in the days following, the average weight had adjusted and gone down – showing that we had successfully removed the largest fish.”

Critical remote support

Modern fish farming generates vast amounts of data. To help manage this, Aquabyte provides vital support. Praising the direct support from the Aquabyte team during the ongoing trial, McGhee says: 

“We have a team chat between Aquabyte and ourselves, and every day we can send a message if we have a question. We get an instant response, but more often than not, they actually contact us before we’ve even noticed there’s a problem.”

“They also send us insight reports, where they take the data, analyse it and present it in a really helpful, short report. Although we observe the data and trends daily, having that additional backup is fantastic.”

Reducing manual handling and use of anaesthetics

While the system is still early in its deployment and has not yet eliminated the need for manual handling of the fish, Mowi is keen to explore the potential of the lice-counting element, particularly for fish nearing harvest.

“A major challenge for Irish fish farms is the established lice-checking procedure run by the Marine Institute, which requires independent monthly checks on two pens per site. This process typically involves handling fish and using anaesthetics. For organic farms like Mowi, the longer withdrawal period required for anaesthetics creates a ‘juggling act’ during harvesting,” McGhee explains.

Future potential for AI-camera technology

With this in mind, and having experienced the Aquabyte system at one of their sites in south-west Ireland, Clara McGhee sees future potential for using AI-based camera technology to collect data from the pens:

“Mowi sees Aquabyte technology as a potential solution. Camera data could potentially be used by the Marine Institute, and through live viewing or reports allow farms to remain compliant with lice-counting requirements without the need for handling fish or using anaesthetics.”