A cunner plan
Researchers at NFLD will use a $358,000 investment from the provincial government to develop alternative methods for sea lice removal. The project focuses specifically on the use of cleaner fish such as the native species, cunners and lumpfish.
The total project value is $991,000, which includes a $258,000 contribution from the Research and Development Corporation and $100,000 from the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture.
“Research and development is a key building block of the aquaculture sector,” said Darin King, minister responsible for the research and development corporation. “Building on the strong collaborative relationships among academic researchers, business and government, this project will enhance capacity in our province and help salmon farmers overcome the fish health challenges posed by sea lice, one of salmon’s natural parasites."
This project involves industry collaboration with Cold Ocean Salmon Inc, a subsidiary of Cooke Aquaculture Inc, which operates a salmon aquaculture facility in St Alban’s, NFLD, where research will take place.
“This innovative project is expected to reduce costs for the local salmon aquaculture industry while allowing it to maintain healthy fish stocks, offer more environmentally friendly chemical-free treatments for sea lice, and enhance its competitiveness in the seafood market,” added Vaughn Granter, minister of fisheries and aquaculture.
This project represents an ongoing cleaner fish initiative that was spearheaded at the Ocean Sciences Centre with industry partner, Cold Ocean Salmon.
“This research will allow us to increase our knowledge and production of cleaner fish and make significant advances towards these species becoming an important tool to use towards sea lice control in our salmon farms in the region,” Danny Boyce, of the department of ocean sciences, Memorial University added.
Other funding sources include the Canadian Centre for Fisheries Innovation (CCFI).
“Aquaculture is the most rapidly expanding food production system in the world, producing about half of the seafood for human consumption,” noted Robert Verge, managing director of CCFI. “Its expansion has been enabled by substantial investment in research and development. This is another example of the way in which research and development is contributing value to the economy, both globally and locally.”
In 2015, the Newfoundland Aquaculture Industry Association identified sea lice control as a top research and development priority for the provincial finfish aquaculture sector. The research and development involves a large-scale field trial using cultured cleaner fish in a sea cage validation trial to test the effective removal of sea lice from farmed salmon. The feeding behaviour of the cleaner fish is harnessed to create a natural defense for the farm. The project will deliver innovative methods and technology needed to produce cleaner fish and will be tested in a real-world environment, according to the press release.
“Fish health and welfare is a top priority for us at Cold Ocean Salmon,” said Sheldon George, the company’s Newfoundland and Labrador production manager. “As farmers we want to take an integrated pest management approach to minimizing the impact of parasites like sea lice on our animals. Our in-house science and our farming teams are extremely pleased to be working with world-class experts at the Ocean Science Centre to solve real world farming challenges."
Cunner fish have been explored as a potential species for cleaning Atlantic salmon of sea lice, including breeding and hatchery techniques, but results showed at colder temperatures the fish aren't as active. Work is now ongoing to determine if using cunners and lumpfish (which are more active at lower temperatures) in conjunction may be a good strategy.
Some of the most current research on this species will be discussed at the Atlantic Canada Salmon Farmer's Assocation (ACSFA) forum that will be hosted early November at the Huntsman Marine Science centre.
