The present invention relates to a feeding system for cleaner fish in a fish farm facility, comprising a feeding unit equipped with a feeding funnel to receive feed material, and also a feed distributor for distribution of the feed in the net cage of the fish farm facility. The invention also relates to a method for feeding of the cleaner fish in a fish farm facility. Salmon lice are the greatest challenge to the fish farm industry. Cleaner fish which eat lice have become a much wanted alternative to chemicals. Examples of cleaner fish are wrasse, which are a large family of saltwater fish that lives in all tropical and temperate oceans. Many wrasses are polishing fish, which means they pick parasites from the skin, gills and even the mouth of larger fish. This is used in connection with farming of salmon, where the wrasse is used to keep the level of salmon lice down.

But the wrasse has a short and stressful life in captivity, therefore the fish farmers must replenish with new fish each year, and also there is a need for extra feeding of the wrasse.

The invention can be used in fish farm facilities or in waiting net cages for the farming of the cleaner fish. In connection with farming installations, the wrasse normally lives in the centre of a large net cage. A small kelp forest is made with the help of ropes and this is where the wrasse stays. The salmon swims through this kelp forest and is deloused by the wrasse. There have been great problems related to feeding wrasse. It is important that the cleaner fish is not fed too much or too little and that a robust and strong lice eater is produced. The cleaner fish should not be fed too often so that it is satiated, but sufficiently so that it maintains a good health and at the same time is hungry for lice. Consequently it is an object of the present invention to provide a simple and efficient solution for the feeding of the cleaner fish in a fish farm facility. The above mentioned object is achieved with a feeding system for the cleaner fish in a fish farm facility, comprising a feeding unit equipped with a feeding funnel to receive feed material, and also a feed distributor for the distribution of the feed material in the net cage of the fish farm facility, in which the feeding funnel is set up to receive, and send on, powdery, dried feed material to the feed distributor and that the feed distributor is set up after the filling to blow the dried feed material to a given feeding area in the net cage.

The feeding unit can be placed on the float construction of the fish farm facility, and a feeding hose can run from the feeding unit and out to the feeding area in the net cage.

The feeding unit can comprise a long hollow body equipped with a piston rod with several pistons for the formation of several chambers, and where the respective chambers are set up to be, in succession, filled with dried feed material from the feeding funnel and to be supplied blowing air from a compressed air system to blow the dried feed material to the net cage via a feeding hose.

Furthermore, the feeding unit can comprise a number of control inlets to receive control air from a compressed air system, set up to move the piston rod in the longitudinal direction of the hollow body.

The above mentioned objects are also achieved with a method for the feeding of the cleaner fish in a fish farm facility, in which a feeding unit is equipped with a feeding funnel to receive feed material and a feed distributor for the distribution of the feed material in the net cage of the fish farm facility, where the feeding funnel is supplied with dried, powdery feed material, whereupon the dried feed material is led into the feed distributor and, after filling up, to supply blowing air to the feed distributor to blow the dried feed material to a given feeding area in the net cage.

In a feeding interval, a number of chambers in the feed distributor can be filled in succession for the subsequent blowing of the feed material out into the net cage via a feeding hose.

The feeding unit can preferably be placed on the float construction of the fish farm facility and a feeding hose is placed from the feeding unit out to a kelp forest in the net cage. Furthermore, the feeding period and the feeding amount are adjusted and preferably controlled by a control system.

The invention shall now be described in more detail with the help of the enclosed figures, in which

Figure 1 shows a feeding system according to the invention placed in a fish farm facility.

Figures 2 and 3 show in more detail a feeding unit that is part of the feeding system according to the invention. A fish farm facility 50 is shown in figure 1 equipped with a net cage 52 for the farming of fish 64 such as salmon. Note that the invention can also be used in independent fish farm facilities for the cleaner fish.

In selected locations, preferably in the centre of the net cage 52, one or more residing places for the cleaner fish, preferably in the form of kelp 60 that grows on a rope or the like, are created. The fish 64 can thereby swim through this kelp forest 60 and be deloused by the cleaner fish, such as wrasse.

A feeding unit 10 is mounted on the fish farming installation 50, preferably on the float construction 54, so that there is an easy access to the feeding unit 10 for maintenance and refilling of feed material. From the feeding unit 10, a feeding hose 24 runs to one or more of the kelp forests 60. Furthermore, the feeding unit 10 is comprised of a feeding funnel 12 and a feed distributor 14, where the feed distributor 14 is connected to a compressed air system 18 via a number of associated hoses 20,22. The compressed air system 18 can also include a control system for the control of the feeding process. Alternatively, the control system can be an

independent unit.

The feeding funnel 12 receives and subsequently distributes, either automatically or manually, dried, powdery feed material to the feed distributor 14. By opening a valve or a dampener in a lower outlet 12a in the feed funnel 12, the dried feed material can be filled in the feed distributor 14 by specific gravity. After filling of the feed distributor 14, the dried feed material is blown to a given area in the net cage 52, for example, to the kelp forest 60, at given intervals

Figures 2 and 3 shows the feeding unit 10 in more detail. The hoses 20,22 from the compressed air system 18 are preferably connected to both sides of the feed distributor 14 (as opposed to what is shown illustratively in figure 1). This means that a hose 20 runs from the compressed air system 18 to a control inlet 2a on the feed distributor 14, and also a hose 20 from the compressed air system 18 to a control inlet 32b on another side of the feed distributor 14. Correspondingly, a hose 22 runs from the compressed air system 18 to a blowing inlet 34a on the feed distributor 14, and also a hose 22 from the compressed air system 18 to a blowing inlet 34b on the other side of the feed distributor 14. Furthermore, the feed distributor 14 comprises blow outlets 30a, 30b, respectively, that are connected to the feeding hose 24, or possibly several feeding hoses.

In the embodiment shown, the feed distributor 14 is comprised of an internally hollow body 36 in the form of a feeding cylinder that contains a piston rod 38 with several pistons 40a,40b,40c for the formation of respective chambers. During filling of dried feed material from the feeding funnel 12, respective chambers are filled in succession, in figure 2, the chamber 1 is filled first with feed material, and as shown by the arrow, control air is supplied to the control inlet 32a on the one side of the feed distributor so that the piston rod has moved to the left in the figure. The blowing outlet 30b is then open and blowing air is supplied via the blowing inlet 34b such that the feed material is blown out and into the feeding hose 24 that runs to the net cage. At the same time, chamber 2 can be filled with feed material. The control inlet 32b and the blowing outlet 30a, and possibly the blowing inlet 34b are shut in figure 2.

In figure 3, the chamber 2 is now filled with feed material and, as shown by the arrow, control air is supplied to the control inlet 32b on the other side of the feed distributor so that the piston rod has moved to the right in the figure. The blowing outlet 30a is then open, and blowing air is supplied via the blowing inlet 34a so that the feed material is blown out and into the feeding hose 24 that runs to the net cage. At the same time, chamber 1 is filled with feed material. The control inlet 32a and the blowing outlet 30b, and possibly the blowing inlet 34b, are shut in figure 3.

Thereby, during a feeding interval, chambers 1 and 2 can be filled in succession to blow out feed material into the net cage 52. In one example, 35g feed material can be filled per chamber and with a blowing time of 7s, the feed material can be blown 15 metres. This will naturally also be dependent on pressure of the blowing air that is supplied from the compressed air system 18, and the properties of the feed material. The shape and displacement of the chambers 1 ,2 determine the amount of feed material.

The control system for the control of the feeding process can have a control system that adjusts the amount of feed, and to a predetermined period. Thereby, the feeding time and feed amount can be adjusted accurately and precisely, something that has been a great problem with earlier feeding apparatus. The invention makes it possible to transport feed material for longer distances where it is not possible to install feeding apparatus at an actual location. The system requires little or no electronic parts that constitute a risk of errors during the feeding process.