A natural choice: plant-based fish health product launched in Scotland  

A Canadian plant-based product for maintaining optimal fish health during early life stages in freshwater aquaculture operations is to be launched in Scotland.

Supratect, made by RPS Biologiques, of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), will be distributed by fish health company STIM Scotland, which will also offer technical support. The product will be available from August.

RPS says Supratect is a highly effective natural product for maintaining optimal health of fish and fish eggs, is non-toxic, has no adverse effects on human or fish health, and can be used as part of an integrated health management approach.

Dedicated support

“RPS Biologiques are excited to be launching their first product to support Scottish aquaculture, following successful launches in Canada and Chile,” said the company’s chief executive Subrata Chowdhury.

“For the first time, an effective natural product can be used as part of an integrated fish health management approach, supporting both traditional and organic aquaculture activities. Our partnership with STIM Scotland provides for dedicated freshwater technical support, and we look forward to supporting our customers in improving freshwater outcomes.”

STIM Scotland technical manager Justin Watson said the launch of Supratect in Scotland was a significant milestone.

“Supratect will further strengthen the toolbox for farmers as part of an integrated approach to fish health management,” added Watson.

Science-driven

RPS is a science driven company with a variety of products and services in the aquatic, animal and human health sectors. It was founded by Chowdhury, a molecular biologist and a leader in the fields of microbiology, virology, immunology and genetics.

Supratect is the first product that RPS has brought to the UK market. The research behind the product was primarily done at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, St Andrews, New Brunswick, and developed at the PEI BioFoodTech Centre.

RPS is a member of the PEI Bioalliance and the Emergence Incubator. The company’s other aquaculture products are Puralyze, a plant-based immersive bath for maintaining optimal health of fish, and FeedShield Fish Meal Stabiliser, a herbal product to increase the shelf life of fish meal.

Sea lice vaccines

The company is also in research and development stages with several vaccines based on its proprietary DNA/RNAi technology platform. It has developed two sea lice vaccines which have been trialled by the Huntsman Centre. Samples from fish involved in the trial are being examined for gene expression at the Atlantic Veterinary College at PEI University.

RPS has developed DNA/RNAi vaccines against infectious salmon anaemia (ISA) that have been trialled in vivo and in vitro (RNAi). With successful in vitro result, RPS did an in vivo trial with St Andrews Biological Station in New Brunswick and described the result as encouraging.