Everlight Electronics Co., Ltd. is the world's top producer in the LED optoelectronics sector. Everlight successfully created a unique LED lamp for groupers in collaboration with the team led by Professor Wang Yong-song of the Institute of Fisheries Science at National Taiwan University. Fishery operators were given access to the lamp for testing. The cannibalism of grouper fingerlings is significantly decreased by exposing them to the special lights; this effectively doubles the survival probability of cultured fingerlings and reduces fingerling loss by over 40%.
With its yearly output of more than 20,000 metric tonnes, Taiwan is referred to as the grouper kingdom. The value of Taiwanese grouper production in 2018 was NT$5.09 billion, according to data from the Fisheries Agency. The breeding rate of grouper fingerlings is now difficult to overcome, as it has dropped to 0–20% in recent years owing to raging infections and unusual weather.
Currently, the most challenging issue facing fisheries managers is the cannibalism of grouper fingerlings. Because groupers may eat each other, 20–60 days after hatching, the smaller or sicker fingerlings will attack the larger ones, killing both. In extreme situations, almost 50% of the fingerlings may be lost.
In the past, grouper fingerlings had to be physically separated into three to five ponds according on size using sieves in order to boost the breeding rate. This procedure must be repeated every two to three days, and the frequent pool separation and screening process damages the fingerlings' periphery in addition to taking up labour, severely oppressing the fish and raising the risk of grouper virus outbreaks.
In addition to applying the wavelength adjustment technology of LED full spectrum to poultry, fish and prawn aquaculture, the Everlight team has recently extended illumination to biological agriculture applications such as animal husbandries and aquaculture fisheries. They have created specialised lamps that can successfully lower the cannibalism of grouper fingerlings. According to the findings of a study conducted by Professor Wang Yong-song's group at National Taiwan University, fingerlings exposed to special lights had an 85% chance of surviving, compared to 65% for the group exposed to normal light. Compared to other wavelength light sources, the research reveals that fish exposed to the particular light source had a greater survival rate and a lower risk of cannibalism. "In the past, we blocked all the light in the culture fishery to reduce fingerlings' cannibalism," said a fishery operator. The fingerlings caused several ailments in addition to growing slowly. Ultimately, the fingerlings continued to eat one another. The procedure becomes simpler and the loss of fingerlings is significantly decreased once the special bulbs are installed.
Fishery operators may make more money thanks to technology, which also benefits farmers and the environment. In the aquaculture sector, there are several benefits to using light as a technical advancement or disease prevention. By preventing the danger of illnesses caused by damage to the body's periphery and lowering the labour required for manual screening, this technology decreases the loss of grouper fingerlings due to cannibalism in a non-contact way. Its operation is straightforward and safe. In order to boost fishermen's revenue and establish new success for Taiwan's aquaculture sector, the potential applications of other aquaculture species for the biological seedlings of other cannibalising species may be investigated in the future.
With related companies in the fields of agricultural Internet of Things (IoT), agricultural remote monitoring systems, drone spray irrigation equipment, environmental control and temperature control equipment, agricultural sensors and drive systems, inspection equipment and instruments, image growth and disease and pest identification system, water resources management, and traceability systems and services, we are taking part in the 2020 Asia Agri-Tech Expo & Forum. You are invited to peruse and communicate at Everlight's exhibit.
