Tag sea lice

The Scottish salmon industry is facing criticism following the release of sea lice statistics and acknowledgement that up to 10 million salmon – a quarter of all stocks – were thrown away last year as a result of disease, parasites and other issues. 

At the IntraFish Seafood Investor Forum in New York, “all roads lead to salmon.” Buoyed by high prices and soaring demand, the sector is an example worth following. But it’s not without its challenges. 

Land-based aquaculture, perhaps the ultimate environmental risk-mitigation tool, was the talk of the town at the IntraFish Seafood Investor Forum. Once scoffed at for high capital and energy requirements, RAS now has a crowded bandwagon. 

Few could argue that a reduction in sea lice-fighting chemicals isn't a win for the fish and for the environment. The downside, however, is that increasing numbers of cleaner fish are being caught for use on salmon farms. 

An over-reliance on medical and chemical controls, along with warming waters, led to a surge in sea lice. With such treatments waning in effectiveness, operators turn to other, safer measures. 

Some of the world’s top aquatic animal disease experts shared knowledge about mitigation techniques at the GOAL conference in Guangzhou, China. Topics included sea lice, streptococcus and EHP, which was referred to as the “most insidious” disease impacting shrimp production. 

Quantidoc AS in Norway is the commercialization of Prof. Karin Pittman’s years of fish health research. Pittman, winner of this year’s Global Aquaculture Innovation and Leadership Award, utilizes stereology to measure and better understand mucous on gill, gut and skin tissues – the first line of defense for fish. 

Winners of the Global Aquaculture Alliance’s annual Innovation & Leadership Award have shown the ability to overcome obstacles encountered in the responsible production of farmed seafood. New technology applications, biosecurity solutions and production systems have been honored. 

Los productores de salmón, utilizando tecnologías emergentes, están explorando nuevos métodos de mitigación de los piojos de mar en un esfuerzo por superar uno de los problemas más persistentes de la industria. Nuevas innovaciones libres de químicos muestran una industria ansiosa de adaptar y adoptar prácticas ambientalmente seguras. 

Salmon farmers, using emerging technologies, are exploring new methods of sea lice mitigation in an effort to overcome one of the industry’s most persistent problems. New chemical-free innovations show an industry eager to adapt and adopt environmentally safe practices. 

At the recent GOAL conference, the British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association committed to reveal sea lice counts at farms operating in the province while promising a future without antibiotics, despite struggles with the persistent yellow mouth disease. 

The British Columbia Salmon Farmers Association releases its first annual Sustainability Progress Report as the Global Aquaculture Alliance hosts its GOAL conference in Vancouver, B.C. The group intends to share progress on environmental, social and economic impacts. 

Sea lice are a significant threat to the Chilean salmon-farming industry. Chilean salmon farmers also understand that prevention and good management practices based on biosecurity measures are the best tools to minimize outbreaks of disease. 

Environmental and fish health problems have affected Chile’s salmon farmers since 2004. As production ramped up, 2006 saw an increase in sea lice that reduced output. In 2007, infectious salmon anemia spread across the farming region and quickly cut production. 

In research for Norway’s salmon farmers, the authors documented effective bath treatments against sea lice infestations in large net pens using skirts or tarpaulins to define the treatment area.