Moving fish around on fishing and aquaculture boats and between boat and shore is an important part of the fishing business. However, it is fraught with danger in the form of possible damage to the very valuable catch.
During 2020 we reviewed a very impressive new boat equipped with the remarkable vacuum fish handling system from Cflow Fish Handling of Norway. The 64-metre combined long-liner/Danish seiner Atlantic is a very impressive vessels in its own right, enhanced by its super-efficient Cflow fish handling system.
These systems can safely transfer undamaged fish at rate of 40 tonnes per hour either from point to point in the ship's processing chain or to other vessels or the shore. They are gentle, quick and very efficient and maintain catch value brilliantly.
"At Cflow," the company told Baird Maritime, "we do our best to put ourselves in the shoes of the people who will operate our system, to better understand the challenges and needs they face on a day-to-day basis. This way of cooperation enables us to build solutions that are tailor made to the customer's needs."
Cflow added that its products were developed with a strong focus on fish welfare, which is maintained and strengthened with the help of its own in-house team of biologists.
Impressive as its products already are, Cflow nonetheless went the extra mile in 2020 and introduced an entirely new product series that promised greater efficiency in fish handling operations.
"The Flowline series was developed with a design philosophy based on prioritising the main functions of the fish handling system, meaning that bends, valves, lifting height and piping are reduced to a minimum on the most frequently used routes. As a result, Flowline reduces the risk of stress and disease from fish handling, in turn leading to reduced biomass loss in aquaculture production."
Cflow remarked that the Flowline series is so efficient that four Flowline 5 valves are enough to replace up to 16 standard three-way valves on a typical wellboat.
Like other fishing equipment suppliers worldwide, Cflow was not spared from the negative effects of Covid-19. However, the company claimed 2020 was still a good year for it brought steady growth, despite being somewhat marred by delays in some projects. It has since adopted a more positive outlook, which is driven by the expectations of continued demand for its products in the coming years.
"We know that the ocean as a food source will be of high importance in the future and both aquaculture and wild catch will continue to be important industries. This, together with the need for improvement of technology and sustainable solutions, make us very optimistic about the future."
With its sights set on being able to continue serving its target market in the coming years, Cflow was quick to recognise trends that are likely to make a significant impact over time.
"Fundamental conditions such as future population growth and the need for food production will require solutions that increase seafood production in the years to come," the company told Baird Maritime. "To achieve this, we must step up our focus on fish welfare, bio security and sustainable solutions.
"Together with industrialisation and expansion of technology, we are certain that this will help the industry achieve a bright future."
