Singapore Fish Farms Use AI to Feed Shrimp, Cut Costs

Singapore's fish farmers are teaching their shrimp to talk to computers, and it's transforming how the island nation grows its own seafood.

At Max Koi Farm, underwater sensors listen to the sounds shrimp make while eating. An AI platform called AquaEasy analyzes those chomping noises to figure out how many shrimp are in the pond and how hungry they are, then tells farmers exactly how much food to use and when.

It's part of a growing wave of digital tools helping Singapore's aquaculture sector do more with less. Farms face rising costs and can't find enough workers, so they're turning to technology to fill the gap.

"Traditionally, observing how much the animals are eating is a lot of work for the farms," said Ken Cheong, chief executive of the Singapore Agro-Food Enterprises Federation. Now sensors handle that job automatically, giving farmers instant data about their stock levels and expenses.

The federation just launched the SG Farm App, a digital platform that replaces handwritten farm notebooks. Workers can log feed usage, count fish being stocked, and record harvest amounts right from their phones.

The National Broodstock Centre, which breeds baby tilapia for Singapore's fish farming industry, already uses the app. Workers briefly sedate sample fish, measure their weight and size in under a minute, then upload everything to the cloud.

Why This Inspires

These digital records aren't just about convenience. They help farms earn important certifications like the Singapore Food Agency's Good Aquaculture Practice, making local seafood more competitive and trusted by consumers.

Max Ng, owner of Max Koi Farm, said the app will help his operation save money. "It should give us more accurate records of the amount of feed given to the fish, which will improve the feed conversion ratio and help us save costs," he explained.

The app launched in May and will run on an affordable subscription model. The federation plans to keep prices low so the time and money farmers save outweighs what they pay.

Two farms are already using the system, and more are coming soon. The federation hopes to expand the technology to vegetable farms next, spreading these efficiency gains across Singapore's entire local food scene.

Singapore is also exploring new fish species to farm, including Chinese perch, a freshwater fish popular in Asian cuisine. Between smarter technology and more variety, the city-state is building a stronger, more self-sufficient food future one innovation at a time.