Studying the deployment and efficacy of lumpfish in cleaning sea lice off Atlantic salmon, University of Stirling Research Fellow Adam Brooker said his research shows personality matters.
Speaking at the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre’s International Lumpfish Conference in Inverness, Scotland, in December 2022, Brooker said bolder lumpfish perform better at their task of eating sea lice off farmed Atlantic salmon.
Across the globe, millions of lumpfish are deployed annually to as aids in the management of the ongoing scourge of sea lice. The conference, which included around 70 representatives of aquaculture companies, feed producers, fish health experts, academics, and researchers, concentrated on knowledge-sharing on issues surrounding lumpfish health and welfare, broodstock, nutrition, rearing, and deployment.
“Thanks to the combined support of academia and the sector, we have collectively gathered significant knowledge on lumpfish breeding techniques, strategies for deployment, and best practice for fish health and welfare,” SAIC Senior Aquaculture Innovation Officer Daniel Carcajona said. “But we can’t be complacent – there are still unanswered questions on how best to use and care for our lumpfish and we can gain more by applying this knowledge in real scenarios.”
Carcajona said better breeding efforts, such as selecting for the “bolder” fish that tend to be better cleaners, is key for the advancement of the sector.
“To move forward in lumpfish farming, it is essential for the sector to develop a program for broodstock, selecting the lines for best health and delousing performance and taking account of variability of animal and egg quality,” Carcajona said. “It’s clear that we need to adopt a long-term outlook to meet the levels of demand for lumpfish, grow our sector, boost skills and training opportunities, and continue to put our valuable research into practice.”
Mowi Cleaner Fish Manager Mark Johnson called for more and better training for site staff in cleaner fish husbandry, and said such training should be centered around lumpfish feeding, introduction, shelter, and husbandry.
Otter Ferry Seafish Production Director Chris Hempleman, who presented the findings of a study investigating the growth of lumpfish in a flowthrough system, said he found a conditioning phase using ambient water temperature helped lumpfish to acclimatize to sea-pen life. He encouraged widespread adoption of the practice, saying it can enhance lumpfish performance.
FAI Farms Aquaculture Scientists Jim Treasurer said he hoped the research findings presented at the conference are quickly adopted both in order to improve the welfare of lumpfish used in aquaculture and to improve the overall performance of the sector.
“Evidence shows that lumpfish have an important role to play in an integrated management strategy for sea lice control,” Treasurer said. “It would be beneficial to encourage idea sharing from the conference to the farms and hatcheries as quickly as possible to incorporate today’s discussions as best practice within the quality-assurance schemes.”
Photo courtesy of SAIC
