Beyond the net: Stingray’s high-tech approach to revolutionising fish farming

Aquaculture, once touted as the future of sustainable food production, now often faces intense scrutiny over its environmental impact and the welfare of farmed fish. Enter Stingray, the Norwegian company with the solution for an ethical, pescatarian future.

Norway is known for many things, including high-quality fish which is used in everything from local cuisine to high-end sushi restaurants in Japan. While its impeccable taste is undeniable, there is a central challenge – the pervasive issue of sea lice, a resilient parasite that poses risks to fish health, farmer profitability, and ecosystem stability. Conventional lice treatments have often relied on chemicals, which may impact the delicate balance of marine environments and can cause distress to the fish.

Luckily, where oceans meet cutting-edge technology, a new frontier in sustainable fish farming has emerged. Stingray Marine Solutions is a company at the forefront of transforming aquaculture through an innovative, non-invasive solution: lasers.

“Our mission has always been about finding a solution that puts fish welfare and sustainability first,” says John Arne Breivik, general manager. Through a decade-long journey of research, development, and persistence, Stingray has brought to market a laser-based technology that precisely targets and removes sea lice, all while preserving the fish’s wellbeing and leaving surrounding marine life untouched.

“By using lasers rather than chemicals or physical handling, our approach avoids the harmful side effects associated with traditional treatments,” says Breivik. Today, Stingray has introduced an era of fish farming that respects natural processes while utilizing the latest advancements in artificial intelligence and underwater robotics.

Using science to turn the tide

In the world of fish farming, few innovations have had as profound an impact as Stingray’s laser technology. The company’s growth and success has been ground-breaking, yet the journey has been far from easy.

Launched from a simple yet groundbreaking idea conceived by inventor Esben Beck in 2009, Stingray’s laser-based de-lousing system now represents the cutting edge of ethical and sustainable fish farming technology. With over a decade of persistence, expertise, and a dedication to environmental stewardship, Stingray has become a game-changer in aquaculture, focusing on fish welfare, growth, and environmental impact reduction. “We wanted to offer a solution that would be both effective and gentle for the fish as many of the existing solutions were putting the welfare and lives of the fish at risk,” explains Breivik.

The team, initially composed of just three colleagues, sets out to address one of the aquaculture industry’s biggest challenges, salmon lice. At the time, fish farms relied on aggressive treatments such as medicated baths and cleaner fish, which often caused stress and harm to the fish.

Beck’s laser idea – targeting and removing lice with precision and without touching the fish – was met with scepticism, even laughter. But for Breivik and his team, this ‘impossible’ concept was just the beginning of a decade-long journey to build what is now an industry-standard solution.

“By 2014, after rigorous testing and rounds of prototypes, Stingray’s delousing lasers were finally commercially available,” says Breivik. “Today, we operate over a thousand laser nodes across Norway, each system working around the clock to monitor and protect more than 70 million salmon and trout, ensuring their welfare and growth. If we think of that in terms of meals, that’s over 1.7 billion meals for families all over the world.”

The technology is remarkable in its precision: using AI-driven cameras and lasers to identify and remove lice with pinpoint accuracy in just milliseconds, leaving the fish unaffected and free to thrive.

The future of aquatic welfare

Since its commercial launch, Stingray has grown rapidly, scaling from a few prototypes to around 700 produced laser units in 2024. By 2025, it will have seen a tenfold in production since 2024, from 110 units to more than 1100 units, and also company profit. This growth has enabled the company to transform from a small start-up to a powerhouse with 200 employees and a robust presence in the aquaculture industry.

“We’ve gone from running on sheer determination to becoming a leader in intelligent aquaculture technology. For us, it’s about more than just removing lice; it’s about creating a sustainable and ethical solution where the fish can swim around and exist peacefully,” says Breivik.

Today, Stingray’s technology is present in approximately 15 per cent of Norway’s fish farms. The online portal, Stingray Online, allows fish farmers to monitor fish health and growth in real-time. This approach has significantly reduced the need for traditional, invasive treatments, creating a more predictable and profitable fish farming process.

As fish farming expands worldwide, Stingray continues to innovate, proving that ethical, sustainable solutions can also drive industry-wide transformation.

“We’re working on continuing development of The Fish Health Hub, Fiskens HelsestasjonTM, where we can monitor not only the lice levels, but everything about the fish’s health, from its speed to size and growth,” adds Breivik. This comes as a part of Stingray’s mission to support a higher yield of seafood on nature’s terms, protecting both the environment and animal welfare. “Everything we do aligns with Stingray’s core mission, to have a laser focus on fish welfare. We aim to support the growth of aquaculture responsibly, and hope that this will be the standard across the world in the future.”

Web: www.stingray.no
Instagram: @stingrayms