Signify supplied The Kingfish Company with Philips Aquaculture photoperiodic LED lighting products to optimize fish growth and feed conversion at the world’s first sustainable land-grown aquaculture facility for yellowtail kingfish. The lights provide effective and energy-efficient lighting for the large tanks and allow Kingfish to achieve as much as 30% higher production than designed for. The facility is equipped with proprietary recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and uses seawater and 100% renewable energy to deliver healthy, antibiotic-free yellowtail.

Fish need light to grow at their best. Lighting is not only needed to see the other fish and food provided, but it is also the only way for fish to determine time and season. Larger and deeper tanks, with fish that grow in changing water conditions, create challenges for light distribution. Via specifically developed optics, light is distributed homogeneously throughout the tank, avoiding dark spots. The electronics within the lights mimic sunrise and sunset. The grow lights have an optimal light recipe to bring enough light within the tank, increasing visibility on the food and each other. This reduces stress, improves food conversion ratios and allows fish to grow at their best.

“To achieve success, you must get all aspects right in the RAS, and light is one of them. We chose Signify because of their expertise and credibility. They were the first to offer LED lighting in aquaculture, and do long-term research in this area,” said Kees Kloet, COO of The Kingfish Company. “The results give us confidence as we scale up our production.”

“With the world population expected to increase to ten billion people by 2050, we also expect demand for fish-based protein to skyrocket,” said Remco van Lansbergen, general manager for Signify Aquaculture LED solutions. “Fish grown in aquaculture facilities can offer an important contribution to fulfill that need, and we, in turn, are happy that our LED lights can help improve the wellbeing of the fish, while also resulting in better growth and lower costs for fish farmers.”