Cermaq has signed a contract with Sea Farm Innovations that will see the Oslo, Norway-based salmon and trout farming company use SFI’s delousing systems to fight sea lice infestations at its farms in Chile.
Toftir, Faroe Islands-based SFI’s mechanical system flushes clean sea water with ambient temperature over the salmon to remove sea lice. The company said it is 90-percent effective in a treatment time of 0.2 seconds. The system uses no chemicals, or hot-water or freshwater treatments.
Cermaq Group Manager of Research and Development of Farming Technology Harald Takle said Cermaq will begin using the system in its Chilean operations beginning in July.
“We know that the sea lice situation in Chile is challenging, and we need to expand our toolbox to remain control,” Takle said in a press release. “We think SFI have come up with a very interesting concept that safeguards the welfare of the fish and at the same time is both flexible and easy to operate. We are cooperating closely with SFI, combining their entrepreneurial approach and competence with our experience to adapt the technology to ensure an optimal effect against sea lice in Chile. For safe implementation, we will use Cermaq’s fish welfare scoring system and highly dedicated personnel. If successful here, we will share this knowledge with the industry in Chile and our operations in Canada and Norway.”
Sea Farm Innovations Managing Director Eyðbjørn Hansen said his company’s delousing system “can treat all fish sizes, has a high treatment capacity, is easy to operate, and can be installed on multiple boat types.”
“We find Cermaq the perfect partner in our quest to make delousing as gentle as possible. Our main focus from the beginning has been fish welfare and for us to be able to work together with a leading company within fish welfare is a perfect match,” Hansen said.
Javier Herrera, the sea water director for Cermaq Chile, said the company will begin using the SFI systems at its farms in Chile’s Region 10 and Region 11.
“We are looking forward to deploy the new tool,” Herrera said. “This system will enable us to delouse our fish gently and hopefully with high treatment efficiency.”
Photo courtesy of Cermaq
