Despite ongoing research and development efforts, sea lice continue to be one of the most significant challenges in the salmon farming industry. Growing awareness of the environmental impacts of traditional aquaculture practices and increasing demand for improved fish welfare are putting pressure on the industry to adopt more sustainable practices.
As a leader in salmon aquaculture, Norway has enacted some of the strictest regulations for sea lice management. In 2017, the Norwegian government implemented the so-called “traffic light system” (TLS) with the aim to promote the growth of the industry while improving environmental sustainability by monitoring the impact of sea lice on wild salmonids. The TLS regulates production capacity in Norway's 13 production zones, based on estimated sea lice-induced mortality of wild salmonids, assigning traffic light colours: green for those regions that can increase capacity, red for those regions that face reductions. Farmers in zones repeatedly facing reductions are under significant pressure, consequently, the TLS has become a subject of contentious debates.
Recent years of research and development have shown that there is currently no “silver bullet” against sea lice and connected industry pain points - including environmental impacts, fish health issues and economic losses. This highlights the need for farmers to have access to a comprehensive toolbox of innovative solutions to effectively tackle the ongoing challenge.
The colours are set based on scientific assessments of the impact of salmon lice on wild salmon for the years 2022 and 2023. Six of the country's production areas were given the green light, presenting an opportunity to increase production in these areas. Five areas received a yellow light and two areas a red light. In the red areas, production capacity must be reduced. © NFD
A focus on prevention through technology-driven innovations
In recent years, sea lice treatment and prevention have increasingly shifted toward technology-driven solutions, replacing traditional medical treatments. Since 2016, the salmon industry has notably transitioned to non-medicinal sea lice treatments, driven by growing resistance in lice and environmental concerns. As a result, methods such as thermal, mechanical and freshwater treatments have become more common. However, recent years have demonstrated that these methods are not without their own challenges. Conducted in wellboats or specialised treatment chambers these treatments involve crowding and pumping of the fish, and depending on the treatment exposure to heated water, freshwater, flushing and/or brushing. Therefore, non-medical treatments such as thermal delousing have been controversially discussed in context of their effect on fish health and welfare. Furthermore, these treatments come with increased costs, both direct (operational costs) and indirect (due to fish mortality, reduced growth and quality downgrades).
Given the costs and welfare concerns associated with existing sea lice treatment methods, the salmon aquaculture industry is moving towards preventive strategies for sea lice control. Current investments are focused on innovations that create spatial or physical barriers to separate lice from the fish, including novel farming systems such as (semi-) closed containment system, submersible or offshore farms as well as lice skirts, electromagnetic fences or bubble curtains around traditional cage systems. Other innovative preventive technologies include the removal of the lice through trap systems.
Another focus area is the prevention through prophylactic treatment and functional feeds aiming to improve the fish’s natural defences against sea lice. There have also been attempts to develop effective vaccines against sea lice, but these have not yet proved successful. Additionally, the use of gene-editing techniques is gaining traction as a long-term solution to sea lice infestations, focusing on transferring sea lice resistance traits from Coho salmon to Atlantic salmon.
© AKVA
Digitalisation and decision-making support
In recent years, monitoring technologies and AI-based decision-making support have made significant advances. As these can reduce the need for fish handling and support more sustainable management of sea lice treatments (eg support on treatment decisions) these fields are gaining more and more traction. Camera-based automatic lice counting technologies can monitor lice levels continuously without physical handling of the fish. With the growing availability of supportive technologies, farmers are increasingly interested in the multifunctional capabilities of smart camera systems, which can also monitor fish welfare indicators and fish growth. In the case of Norway, these systems that have been approved by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority can be used for the weekly reporting of sea lice counts. Furthermore, emerging farming systems such as submersible cages, closed containment designs and offshore farms are an additional driver, as more supportive technologies are required on these to monitor fish health, welfare and growth.
Aquabyte's system was the first to be recognised by the Norwegian authorities as a viable, accurate and more welfare-friendly alternative to manual counting of fish © Aquabyte
A new focus on fish welfare
As concerns over existing treatments grow, the future of sea lice control in the salmon industry must shift toward sustainable and fish health-focused solutions. A key driver for new technologies should be to ensure good fish welfare practices by developing solutions that are both effective and less invasive. Furthermore, emphasis should be placed on prevention through innovative farming technologies and farm management support services, rather than relying solely on traditional treatment methods
At Hatch Innovation Services we have our finger on the pulse, so if you want to know about latest innovations and their merits relating to the sea lice challenge come talk to us. We aim to enhance our clients' knowledge, networks and market opportunities to foster more responsible practices within the aquaculture industry.
Key players should focus on advancing current innovations and developing a toolbox for farmers against sea lice that supports fish health and welfare, environmental sustainability and cost-efficiency.
If you’re interested in learning more about this topic and current challenges, get in touch with us at Hatch Innovation Services.
References
1. Ingunn Sommerset et al. Norwegian Fish Health Report 2023. (2024).
