Aquaculture digitalization: polling Karelian fish farmers

Abstract

Digitalization brings valuable advantages to the aquaculture industry. Such technologies as the Internet of Things, artificial intelligence, Big Data, unmanned vehicles, and others give new opportunities to develop smart equipment and software for aquaculture. Emerging new solutions help to reduce risks, increase labor productivity, and improve the manageability of fish farms. However, the demand for new digital solutions is directly connected to the readiness of companies for digital transformation. In this paper, we present the results of polling among the fish farmers in the Karelia region (Russia). The survey was aimed at exploring the current technological level of aquaculture enterprises and their readiness to adopt new smart digital technologies. The survey was performed among 43 Karelian trout producers, covering the entire operational spectrum from fish eggs incubation to the production of commodity fish. We found clear differences between fish farms with self-assessed high, medium and low technological levels in their actual adoption of modern technologies. The results show the high level of readiness of fish farmers for digital transformation and the need for governmental support for the industry’s digitalization.