© KelpRing
KelpRing, which is based on Skye, has also secured additional input from the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC), salmon producer Loch Duart, and the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture, in a research project will see its kelp hides deployed at one of Loch Duart’s salmon farms for the next 18 months.
Designed as an alternative to artificial seaweed hides typically used on fish farms, the KelpRing is designed to be as close as possible to the type of environment ballan wrasse and lumpfish – the most common cleaner fish species – would experience in the wild.
A previous feasibility study with Scottish Sea Farms, combined with international research, showed that the introduction of natural kelp on salmon farms can have medicinal properties and a calming effect on cleaner fish, boosting their ability to eat sea lice off the salmon.
This latest trial will see Institute of Aquaculture researchers evaluate the impact of a KelpRing against current standard conditions, assessing the preference of cleaner fish and mapping behavioural and physiological changes in the cleaner fish population related to their welfare. They will be also looking at cleaner fish efficiency by means of sea lice counts and the health and welfare state of salmon.
Martin Welch, founder of KelpRing, said: “Cleaner fish are naturally drawn to seaweed forests and by adding kelp hides to salmon pens, it allows the fish to act as they would in the wild, in their natural habitat. Wrasse and lumpfish can live a long and healthy life of up to 25 years if the conditions are right, and measures to enhance their wellbeing can only support their ability to treat sea lice.
“The KelpRing is a lightweight system which can be deployed in various sizes from one to nine meters in diameter, using a mix of naturally seeded and lab-grown kelp. So far, the aquaculture sector has been incredibly positive about the prospects of using the system and we’re hopeful that the results from this latest trial will prove our hypothesis, with the kelp having a positive impact on Loch Duart’s cleaner fish population and a reduction in sea lice numbers.”
As well as enhancing cleaner fish wellbeing, using kelp to improve their delousing capabilities could have a range of benefits for salmon producers and the environment. The wider deployment of KelpRings could lead to less reliance on expensive current treatment methods for sea lice, such as the use of pharmaceuticals and techniques that involve handling salmon.
Eliminating the need for additional treatment, including the production processes and boats used, could also reduce the overall carbon footprint of farms.
Lewis Bennett, cleanerfish manager at Loch Duart Ltd, added: “The use of cleanerfish, in my view, is the biggest innovation at Loch Duart. They play a vital and valuable role in the business, where they contribute to the fish health strategy. They are also a form of multitrophic farming incorporated into our salmon operations, where they keep our salmon free of sea lice, and we work to meet all of their requirements.
“Being able to express their natural grazing behaviour requires a range of factors to be met, such as having a habitat or structure in close proximity. We currently use artificial kelp for this, but being able to provide our wrasse with a more appropriate habitat should create a happier fish population and would reduce the need for artificial products. I am very keen to see the results on fish behaviour but also the operational benefits of a habitat that doesn’t need cleaning or regular removal from the pen. As we have seen at Loch Duart across a range of factors, a natural option is always superior.”
