New delousing tool ‘safe and gentle’ on salmon

The tool gently removes the sea lice from the salmon and simultaneously collects the sea lice so it can be filtered from the water, said Cermaq.  The treatment itself only last for approximately 0.2 seconds per fish, and is effective against both mobile and adult sea lice, it added. The company plans to deploy the tool in its farms in Chile in July and, if successful, will also deploy it in its operations in Canada and Norway.

“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,” said Harald Takle, Cermaq’s R&D manager, farming technology.

SFI, a two-year-old company based in the Faroe Islands, said it developed the delousing tool in close cooperation with salmon farmers. “The main focus for the SFI System has from start been fish welfare, to make sure that as few salmon perish during sea lice treatment as possible,” it said, adding that the system can be used in connection with all kinds of fish pump systems.