Grieg opts for AI gender sorting deal
Grieg Seafood has entered into a significant investment project to assist in the sorting of salmon by gender, using artificial intelligence technology.
The company is working with the Norwegian company Aquaticode, which will provide an AI-based gender sorting system.
Aquaticode said that the project is designed to increase production efficiency by up to 20%, by separating the fish into gender-based groups during the growth period. It will now be integrated into Grieg’s automated vaccination line.
The tech company said that this is the first time that gender sorting has been built directly into an automated vaccination process, enabling earlier biological decisions without increased handling. The system operates at commercial speed and sorts up to 10,000 fish per hour per line, Aquaticode said.
The company argues that separating the sexes has proven to be a biological tool with great effect in salmon farming, adding: “Industry data shows that male fish grow about 20% faster than female fish, and that female fish grow about 5% better when not paired with males.
“By identifying sex before release, hatcheries can reduce variation and enhance biological stability. Sorting for health characteristics and early sexual maturity in the same process makes it possible to remove fish that are unlikely to survive to harvest.”
Aquaticode said the technology behind its system is protected by multiple patents covering both hardware and AI-based phenotyping.
The technology combines multi-sensor image analysis, deep learning, and high-speed robotics to identify and sort biological traits in real time.
Aquaticode CEO Stian Rognlid said the agreement is a clear sign that the industry is adopting the technology.
“The collaboration with Grieg is an important milestone for us and for the development towards early, data-driven biological sorting,” he added.
Kjetil Ørnes, Regional Director at Grieg Seafood said: “We believe that sexing at the vaccination stage provides clear biological benefits. Aquaticode’s technology gives us a practical and integrated way to make these decisions right when they matter most.
“This is the type of innovation we want to support – solutions that enhance fish health and performance.”
Why not try these links to see what our Fish Farmer AI can tell you.
(Please note this is an experimental service)
You May Also Like
© 2026 Fish Farmer.