Another potential interaction between fish farming and biodiversity is the transfer of diseases between wild and farmed populations, in particular sea lice in salmon farming.
Sea lice are naturally occurring ectoparasites of salmon, living on the skin of the salmon. They occur on both wild and farmed salmon, and other wild fish, and the infection passes in both directions, from farmed to wild and from wild to farmed.
We have introduced internal procedures for Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and Resistance Management (RM) strategies. IPM and RM seek to incorporate good husbandry and management practices, to use biological controls where possible and to optimise the use of medicines. This combination of tactics provides control of lice while maximising the effectiveness of available medicines and prolonging their useful market life. At the same time, it reduces environmental inputs and contributes towards a sustainable fish production system.