INDONESIAN START-UP EFISHERY MAKES FISH FEEDING SMARTER

Inefficient fish feeding is a problem that commercial aquaculture ventures have to deal with: feeding the fish too little is bad for the fish, and feeding them too much is bad for the environment and the fish farmers’ pockets.

This is an issue that may become more pressing in Southeast Asia in the years to come – according to the World Bank report, “Fish to 2030: Prospects for Fisheries and Aquaculture,” Southeast Asia, alongside India, will undergo the largest expansion in global aquaculture production and will comprise 15.9% of global production by 2030, up from 12.4% in 2010. 

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One Indonesian start-up is trying to solve this problem and taking advantage of the growth potential in aquaculture and the promising field of the Internet of Things (IoT).

Founded by Gibran Chuzaefah Amsi El Farizy in 2013, eFishery manufactures a smart fish feeder and an app that lets fish farmers monitor the feeding process in real-time. The start-up was one of the nominees for Best Disruptor at the recently concluded 2016 Rice Bowl Start-up Awards.

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Automatic feeding, real-time monitoring

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Sensors in the device, which is attached to the side of a pond, can tell when the fish are hungry based on water motion and proceeds to disperse an ample amount of food. Users just need to input the type of fish, age, quantity, feed pellet size, and feeding frequency, and eFishery’s algorithm will take it from there.

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Through the software, fish farmers can monitor everything on their smartphone, tablet, or computer, and make necessary tweaks to the system as needed. The company claims that their device can reduce feeding costs by up to 21%. 

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The technology can be used in all types of fish farms, but at present, it only covers carp fish, tilapia, catfish, white shrimp, and snapper. 

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Growth potential in aquaculture and the Internet of Things

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The start-up has its feet – or rather, fins – in two high-potential markets.

Aquaculture is expected to maintain a steady rise in the coming years, and in 2030 will likely contribute 62% to food fish production globally, according to the World Bank report. In 2012, world aquaculture production was valued at $138 billion, with the Asia Pacific region dominating the sector at 88.5% of global production, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization. About 23 million people worldwide find employment in this sector.

IoT, on the other hand, is an exciting space that could be worth $1.7 trillion by 2020, up from $655.8 billion in 2014, predicts IDC. IoT is defined by IDC as “a network of networks of uniquely identifiable endpoints (or ‘things’) that communicate without human interaction” via the Internet. This spans modules/devices, servers, analytics software, IT services, and IoT purpose-built platforms, among other things. Within the Asia Pacific region, Southeast Asia will drive the growth of IoT owing to three factors: urbanization, technology and device proliferation, and growth in the manufacture of “things,” reports Tech In Asia.

Through their hardware-software solution to fish feeding, eFishery is reeling in the benefits of bridging two high-growth markets and showing the region how data-driven tech solutions can improve a traditional sector.