Implement VERIBARR™ for better fish welfare and productivity
Even a small virus can bring havoc by causing disease. The first line of defence is the mucosal surfaces; the largest site of host-pathogen interaction in any animal system. QUANTIDOC specializes in measuring the defence activity in mucosal barriers with VERIBARR™, safeguarding the frontline barriers against disease.
The problems we solve
In 2022, more than 58 million fish died on Norwegian farms, representing 15% of production. Since 2012, the biological cost of fish farming has doubled, soon becoming the largest production cost component. The high rates of disease and mortality have significant consequences for the industry.
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The increasing rate of disease and mortality in fish farming has a significant impact on the growth potential of the industry. Therefore, it is important for fish farmers to implement proactive barrier health control measures to prevent disease outbreaks and promote optimal fish health and welfare, improving the industry's competitiveness, consumer confidence, and growth potential.
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2. Reduced profitability is a direct consequence of high costs of labour, feed and fish disease and -mortality. This significantly impacts financial performance, making it difficult to maintain operations or invest in future growth opportunities. Sales revenue may not compensate for the increased costs of production.
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When fish populations are sick or dying, companies may need to invest in additional labour, medication, or infrastructure to address the issue. This can increase the overall cost of production and reduce the profitability of the operation.
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The high rates of disease and mortality reduce consumer confidence in the quality and safety of fish products. Consumers may be hesitant to purchase fish products from farms that have experienced significant losses or have a reputation for high mortality rates. This impacts market access.
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Many countries have regulations that set standards for the quality and safety of fish products, and companies that fail to meet these standards may face fines, legal action, or even closure. Additionally, regulators may require companies to implement additional measures to prevent disease outbreaks or improve fish welfare, which can increase costs and reduce profitability
The solutions we deliver
As the first line of defence against parasites and pathogens, keeping the frontline barriers of skin, gut, and gills robust and healthy is crucial to welfare and growth. We have developed three different VERIBARR™ solutions for the global fish farming industry.
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"Start Analysis" is the first step in utilizing Veribarr™. It is a single-point analysis solution assessing the barrier health of the stock in relation to normal performance in comparable systems. Fish farmers can use this solution if they have a feeling that something is wrong or sub-optimal but do not know why.
With VERIBARR™ Start Analysis, fish farmers can take a proactive approach to fish health.
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Effect analysis & mapping involves an in-depth analysis of the effects of selected factors on fish barrier health. This solution is used if the fish farmer wants to verify the effect on the fish's health when implementing or changing something such as water quality, feed composition, and farming various practices.
This solution helps fish farmers identify and address potential health risks early on. -
This is to give a baseline of how your stock responds to your production-system, and where you can make improvements. The Continuous Analysis & Mapping solution is designed to provide ongoing monitoring and maintenance of fish barrier health. By continuously analyzing and mapping the mucosal barrier of fish, VERIBARR™ can detect early warning signs of disease or other health problems, enabling fish farmers to take preventative measures before outbreaks occur.
This proactive approach helps to minimize the spread of diseases and reduce the number of fish deaths, ultimately leading to improved fish welfare, health, and productivity.
The value we create
By mapping the mucosal barrier strength for the skin, gills and gut the health status of the stock can be monitored and maintained at a high level. Fish farming can benefit significantly from maintaining the strength of the frontline barriers.
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Barrier health control through continuous mucosal mapping of the skin, gills, and gut in fish farming can improve fish health and welfare by enhancing resilience, matching diet with the fish’s requirements, identifying stressors, and reducing the need for treatment.
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Healthy barriers in the skin, gills, and guts can improve growth ratio and production by detecting health issues early, enhancing resilience, matching diet with the fish’s requirements, identifying stressors, and reducing the need for treatment.
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Visible damage occurs after frontline barriers are breached. Proactive frontline barrier health monitoring helps identify vulnerabilities at an early stage, enabling prompt intervention and treatment before diseases can spread throughout the fish population. This can prevent significant economic losses
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Proactive monitoring of frontline barriers can reduce mortality rates in fish farming by detecting diseases and environmental stressors early on. This results in timely interventions when necessary, leading to improved survival rates, reduced biological risk, and increased profitability.
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Continuous frontline health monitoring of skin, gills, and gut reduce biomass risk by improving resilience, growth and survival, identifying stressors, and reducing the impact on fish from production routines.
VERIBARR™
The industry standard for verifying and maintaining the health and robustness of frontline barriers
Stay proactive and take preventative measures before diseases and mortality occur.
VERIBARR™ is an operational tool to understand how the fish immune system reacts to production routines, environment and other factors in fish farming systems. The outcome of applying VERIBARR™ is to specify challenges and control health and growth within the biomass. Since the slimy barriers of skin, gills and guts are made of living cells, these are always in negotiation with the microbiome and with the environment.
If negotiations break down, disease and mortality ensue. VERIBARR™ gives an unbiased support to operational decisions across species, time and systems. As an example, VERIBARR™ can distinguish between the effects of single additives to either fishmeal, algal or plant-based diets. Further, Veribarr™ can show whether the skin has been depleted by repetitive handling and can no longer deliver mucosal protection; whether the diet has challenged the foundation of robust health or whether pathogens have already triggered an immune response. The sensitivity of Veribarr™ can detect significant changes to the gills in response to water quality, particles and pathogens – even when the gills appear to look fine.
VERIBARR™ by QUANTIDOC is a proactive and innovative digital solution for the global aquaculture industry to monitor and maintain frontline barrier health. VERIBARR™ quantifies the factories in the slimy barriers, providing early warnings of fish barrier health. This enables farmers to identify sources and take appropriate action before problems and mortality occur. Veribarr™ - takes you from gut feeling to gut fact
By continuously monitoring barrier health, VERIBARR™ promotes the operational understanding of the fish immune system and robustness, contributing to a solid pillar in the industry's long-term success and sustainability.
With VERIBARR™, our clients can achieve their production objectives while minimizing the risk of disease and mortality. Veribarr™ is the industry standard for verifying and maintaining the health and robustness of fish mucosal barriers and is instrumental in improving the quality and sustainability of fish farming worldwide.
The industry standard for verifying and maintaining the health and robustness of frontline barriers
Veribarr™ - an operational tool
VERIBARR™ provides fish farmers with a range of benefits, including:
VERIBARR™ measures the area and density of mucus cells, providing early warning of the fish's mucosal status and enabling farmers to take preventative measures before diseases and mortality occur. This reduces the risk of fish loss and helps maintain productivity. VERIBARR™ predicts the fish's tolerance and potential for further development and growth.
Early Warning System
By continuously monitoring fish barrier health, VERIBARR™ reveals the fish's response to its conditions, allowing the farmer to identify and optimize on-farm environment leading to healthier and more resilient fish. This is a framework for continuously improving fish health and welfare in any farming system, as well as reducing use of antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals.
Improved Fish Health
Increased Productivity
By maintaining optimal fish barrier health, farmers can increase the productivity and profitability of their operations across different systems, both land-based and sea-based through early warning and comparable monitoring. This is achieved through reduced mortality, more feeding days, matching feed-types to the fish’s requirements, and higher quality in the end-product.
VERIBARR™ provides objective data that can be used to identify potential health issues and take preventive action, reducing the need for antibiotics and other treatments. This reduces the environmental impact of fish farming. With Veribarr™, fish farmers can make informed decisions to promote sustainability and contribute to a healthier global food supply.
Enhanced Sustainability
The solutions we deliver
Start
analysis
"Start Analysis" is the first step in utilizing VERIBARR™. It is a single-point analysis solution assessing the barrier health of the stock in relation to normal performance in comparable systems. Fish farmers can use this solution if they have a feeling that something is wrong or sub-optimal but do not know why.
With VERIBARR™ Start Analysis, fish farmers can take a proactive approach to fish health.
Effect
analysis & mapping
Effect analysis & mapping involves an in-depth analysis of the effects of selected factors on fish barrier health. This solution is used if the fish farmer wants to verify the effect on the fish's health when implementing or changing something such as water quality, feed composition, and farming various practices.
This solution helps fish farmers identify and address potential health risks early on.
Continuous
analysis & mapping
This is to give a baseline of how your stock responds to your production-system, and where you can make improvements. The Continuous Analysis & Mapping solution is designed to provide ongoing monitoring and maintenance of fish barrier health. By continuously analyzing and mapping the mucosal barrier of fish, VERIBARR™ can detect early warning signs of disease or other health problems, enabling fish farmers to take preventative measures before outbreaks occur.
This proactive approach helps to minimize the spread of diseases and reduce the number of fish deaths, ultimately leading to improved fish welfare, health, and productivity.
Covering 13 different fish species
Salmon, trout, seabass, seabream, tilapia, yellowtail, shrimp, halibut, tuna, barramundi, lumpfish, wrasse, sculpin
Let us help keep your stock robust & healthy.
At QUANTIDOC, we understand the critical importance of healthy and strong frontline barriers for the success and sustainability of any farming operation. With our advanced VERIBARR™ solution, we provide early warnings of the frontline barrier status and enable you to take proactive measures to prevent diseases and mortality before they occur.
Don't leave the health and well-being of your fish stock to chance. Partner with QUANTIDOC, implement VERIBARR™ and take advantage of our expertise and cutting-edge technology to ensure the long-term success and profitability of your operation.
Contact us today to learn more about how we can help keep your stock robust and healthy.
Contact us
Thank you for your interest in QUANTIDOC and VERIBARR™. We're here to answer any questions you may have about our services, provide more information, or schedule a consultation. Please don't hesitate to get in touch with us using the contact form. We'll get back to you as soon as possible. Alternatively, you can email us directly or call us
Dag Nesfossen (CEO)
dn@quantidoc.com
+47 958 44 252
Thormøhlensgate 53b
5006 Bergen
NORWAY