A remotely-operated underwater drone developed by an Australian robotics startup to inspect and repair salmon aquaculture nets has begun exports to the world’s largest producer.
Southern Ocean Subsea secured a $20,000 state government grant in the latest round of the Advanced Manufacturing Accelerating Growth Program to begin exporting the APAMA Net Repairer System to Norway.
Norway accounts for 40 per cent of the global farmed salmon market, making it the ideal customer for the Tasmanian company, which was founded by Kelsey Treloar and Peter Coleman in 2017.
The remotely-operated underwater vehicle (ROV) can be deployed to quickly repair or reinforce any net to a depth of 200 metres, with its eight thrusters and six degrees of freedom giving it a high-level of maneuverability to repair holes of any size.
It avoids the costs to operators of aquacultures that rely on human divers, which can cost up to $5,500 per day for a four-person team. The ROVs can also operated on a 24-7 basis, proactively inspect nets to detect potential failures in the future.
The first prototype of the vehicle was unveiled in 2023, with a final version completed last year. Since then, it has been actively looking to export the drone internationally, including to Norway.
The aquaculture industry is worth an estimated $273 billion globally, with Norway accounting for about 40 per cent of the salmon market thanks to about 2000 individual farms producing a total of about 11,500 tons of fish per day.
Southern Ocean Subsea is now targeting other markets, including Scotland, Canada and Chile, which together make up the bulk of the rest of the global salmon aquaculture market, according to general manager Andrew Ford.
“We’re looking at securing big orders over the next two years, all the while keeping jobs and expertise in Tasmania. We haven’t forgotten who we are and from where we come,” he said.
The Tasmanian Minister for Innovation, Science and the Digital Economy Madeleine Ogilvie said the company was a “textbook example of Tassie innovation” and had used the state’s “niche and island capabilities to create new intellectual property”.
“While our fishy friends will always find a way to chew through nets, APAMA NRS can repair them more safely and quickly, at any angle and depth – far beyond what divers can achieve,” he added.
SoSub was a finalist in the InnovationAus 2024 Award for Excellence.
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