An environmentally sound and efficient alternative to traditional delousing agents has been estasblished. Intensive testing of a new delousing agent shows that peroxide is more than 90 percent effective on mobile and mature lice.
In cooperation with Aqua Pharma, the wellboat company Sølvtrans and peroxide producer Solvay, Marine Harvest has tested the new delousing agent InteroxParamove, which is now ready for commercial use.
A milestone
Hydrogen peroxide was used in the 1990’s, however at a much smaller scale. A milestone is passed in re-establishing this as an adequate alternative at today’s scale. The challenge is to achieve an effective intermixture of hydrogen peroxide and at the same time keeping control of the oxygen saturation. In order to achieve maximum effect, the fish needs to be exposed for 30 minutes.
Peroxide can prove to be important to break the pattern of resistance in areas where traditional delousing agents have shown reduced effect. The fish is exposed by being transferred from the site into a well-boat, where the treatment is carried out. When the treatment is finished, the fish is transferred back to the site. There are no medicine spills into the sea.
1 000 tons every 24 hours
As of today the processing capacity is 1 000 tons every 24 hours. However, according to general manager Ole-Petter Brandal in Sølvtrans, it may be possible to increase the capacity by further optimisation of the project.
Aqua Pharma, which has the agency agreement of the dosing equipment, and Sølvtrans will now together with Marine Harvest make a separate certification protocol which enables the concept to be used on other well-boats as soon as possible. This protocol will be made available to the whole industry.
Some milestones in sea lice management
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Biological control with wrasse developed early 1990’s (P. Kvenseth and more)
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National and regional action plans against sea lice introduced in Norway (1996)
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Development of more effective delousing agents
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Establishment of the first Fish Health Network (Fiskehelsenettverket) in Norway, with lice control as primary focus (2003)
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Establishment of www.lusedata.no in Norway, and thereby contributing to full openness about sea lice status (2005)
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Source: Marine Harvest