New Cermaq delousing vessel launched at shipyard

Neptune Marine built the 31-metre long pontoon, classed as a “Euro Special Purpose Pontoon”, which is expected to arrive in Canadian waters by the autumn, according to a post on Neptune Marine’s LinkedIn account.

“We are very excited about the prospect of deploying an unquestionably, environmentally sound solution to sea lice management. We chose Neptune because of their commitment to people, environment and fish friendly innovation,” said Linda Sams, sustainable development director for Cermaq Canada in a statement. “We are committed to operating at best practice and protecting the oceans in which we farm.”

Delousing

“Cermaq Canada will use the new vessel to combat the problem of fish lice infestation of salmon stocks, a problem faced by aquaculture companies the world over. Fish lice affect the welfare, as well as the quality, of the harvested fish,” said Neptune Marine on its website.

“Fish delousing will be carried out using Hydrolicer equipment from the Norwegian company of the same name. This technique, developed in cooperation with CFlow Fish Handling, uses seawater under pressure to gently dislodge the fish lice. Because no chemicals are used, the method is 100% pollution-free and thus environmentally friendly.

"The Hydrolicer system can handle 50 tonnes of fish per treatment line.”.

Neptune Marine has had previous success combining delousing systems with their vessels. “It is a great example of the cooperation between Hydrolicer, Cflow and Neptune, a combination that has a proven track record with excellent production figures,” stated the company.

Operations

“We have designed this vessel so that fish handling operations and the control of ship’s systems can be performed from one operator’s chair. This will allow Cermaq personnel to prioritise their tasks effectively and focus fully on the fish.”

The pontoon also features full living facilities including an energy generator and water-making facilities. Living on the vessel takes away the reliance on land-based living and reduces commuting times for staff.

Neptune is a specialised supplier of marine solutions in the Netherlands. Its main activities are shipbuilding, ship repair, conversion, (de)mobilisation and it delivers solutions for various maritime projects from locations in the Netherlands: Hardinxveld, Aalst and Groningen. It designs, builds, repairs, converts and mobilises vessels and equipment for the maritime industry including offshore, renewables, marine infrastructure and aquaculture.

Cermaq Canada is the second largest salmon aquaculture company in British Columbia, with a head office located in Campbell River on Vancouver Island.