AI sorting partnership aims to reduce variability in Grieg’s salmon cohorts.
Grieg Seafood has entered into an agreement with Aquaticode to introduce the company’s AI-based phenotyping and sorting system into its pre-smolt operations,.
The technology, which will be integrated directly into Grieg’s automated vaccination lines, is designed to sort fish by gender and other biological characteristics at commercial speed. According to Aquaticode, the system can handle up to 10,000 fish per hour per line and may increase production efficiency by as much as 20 percent.
Embedding gender sorting into the vaccination workflow marks the first time the process has been incorporated at this stage, allowing earlier biological decision-making without additional handling. Industry data indicates that male salmon grow around 20 percent faster than females, while females grow approximately 5 percent more when reared without males. Aquaticode says early identification allows hatcheries to reduce variability, improve biological stability, and remove fish showing signs of early maturation or poor health.
The company’s imaging and classification methods are covered by multiple patents, including both hardware and AI-based phenotyping.
Kjetil Ørnes, regional director at Grieg Seafood, said the decision fits into a broader focus on early intervention and reducing biological risk. “Biology is the foundation of everything we do. Earlier, more precise decisions reduce risk throughout the lifecycle, and we believe gender sorting at the vaccination stage offers meaningful biological benefits. Aquaticode’s technology gives us a practical and integrated way to make those decisions exactly when they matter. This is the type of innovation we want to support: solutions that strengthen fish health and performance.”
Aquaticode has scanned tens of millions of fish and holds supply contracts covering more than one hundred million animals with major global salmon producers. CEO Stian Rognlid described the partnership as a signal of wider industry adoption.
“This collaboration with Grieg is an important milestone for our team and for the wider move toward early, data-driven biological sorting. Phenotyping and sorting is proving to be a powerful first step toward more predictable biology and higher-performing cohorts. We are particularly grateful that Grieg is taking the lead, when a company with their biological focus moves, others follow.”
Aquaticode is headquartered in Norway and specialises in AI-enabled phenotyping and high-speed robotic sorting systems for aquaculture.
