I’ve worked closely with fish farmers throughout my career, witnessing first-hand the effect of sea lice. These tiny parasites are a big welfare issue for salmon and managing sea lice massively drives the costs of farming salmon – but on a positive note, it also drives innovation.
The toolbox for managing sea lice has a limited number of different components, and each play a role in either preventing or treating sea lice infestations. For years, fish farmers had to work with a toolbox lacking in tools, deploying non-optimal solutions that result in poor fish welfare. I am very pleased to play my part in the addition of a new tool to the sea lice management toolbox, which keeps welfare and sustainability front of mind.
Benchmark’s CleanTreat® system enables the use of efficacious and high welfare medicines like Ectosan® Vet in an environmentally responsible manner. This first of its kind water purification system removes medicine from treatment water, before safely returning purified water into the sea. This is a crucial step in combating parasitic resistance to medicines, as well as reducing the impact on the environment.
In recent years, there has been a shift away from medicinal treatments, due to a rising trend of parasitic resistance to medicine. Non-medicinal treatments now form the majority of treatments performed, however the total number of delousing events, regardless of method, continues to climb, see below. (Fig. 1). [i]
As an industry, we still need to deploy the full toolbox, and medicinal bath treatments hold a key place. Going forward, we must be more selective in targeting the right treatment for key periods and areas, to ensure we have the greatest impact.
Before joining Benchmark Animal Health as a Technical Fish Health Specialist, I worked in fish health services; working closely with farmers to ensure fish health and welfare was prioritised. During the shift to non-medicinal treatments, I experienced first-hand the challenges of being limited with only a few tools in the toolbox. This forced farmers to reuse the same method more than recommended, in regard to both fish health and welfare. This industry background is helpful, and I continue to use this knowledge every day, working in collaboration with fish health personnel to enable treatment best practices. I play a key part in the wider Benchmark Technical Services team, assisting our customers in the delivery of successful treatment strategies, and providing guidance throughout each stage of the treatment process.
It has been over a year since I joined Benchmark. It is fulfilling to support farmers and customers, fostering relationships to understand each individual’s needs, from medicine prescriptions to technical and practical information or planning treatments. It’s a collaborative relationship, and I learn something from each interaction which I’m able to take forward.
Farmers always have a personal sense of pride when it comes to the welfare of their fish. In my experience, customers using the integrated sea lice solution of Ectosan® Vet and CleanTreat® have passed on positive feedback about the high levels of efficacy achieved. They’ve also highlighted their satisfaction with the welfare levels both during and after treatment. At Benchmark, our goal remains to support the industry to produce fish in the most sustainable manner, and this must include a sustainable method of delousing. To achieve this, we must strive for continuous improvement which places both fish and the environment at the forefront.
Throughout my time at Benchmark, it has been affirming to both hear the feedback from farmers and to watch treatment deployment in action. I have spent the past year building relationships with our customers, and I look forward to continuing to develop these in the year ahead.
#SolvingSeaLice
