Europharma wins SuperSmolt patent
Europharma has been granted a patent for its SuperSmolt Feed Only product, which contributes to more predictable smoltification of farmed salmon.
The patent application process has taken four years. “We have received what is called ‘intention to grant’ from the European Patent Organisation (EPO) on the first of our patent applications relating to SuperSmolt Feed Only. Of course, we are very pleased with that,” said Paal Christian Krüger, of Europharma in Norway.
The SuperSmolt programme provides feed-based smoltification of salmon without the need for a winter photo period. The company says smoltification is performed faster and more predictably and prevents desmoltification, and that the product makes it easy to produce homogeneous fish groups where all fish have good seawater tolerance upon exposure, which in turn contributes to increased survival and better growth.
Significant investments
Europharma says the Scottish aquaculture industry has been utilising the SuperSmolt programme to produce tens of millions of optimally smoltified salmon over the last 10 years. SuperSmolt Feed Only is a newer product which does away with the need for mineral treatments and can be applied in both freshwater cages and hatcheries.
The EPO decision was expected by Krüger, but he is still relieved to finally have it in black and white.
“The EPO have now signalled its approval of our first and most important patent application on this product. After a nearly four-year-long process we are of course very happy about that,” said Krüger.
“The decision will not change much in terms of our daily work and focus but we are pleased to have achieved the recognition from the EPO for our innovation. We have worked on smoltification over many years and put significant resources into developing SuperSmolt FeedOnly. The EPO has reached its conclusion after an extremely thorough assessment process and its decision is an acknowledgment of the innovative qualities of this product.”
Last year more than 73 million fish were smoltified in this way in Norway, and 102m globally.
“At a time where fish farmers increasingly demand bigger smolts, and the significance of low mortality and growth performance is ever more important, SuperSmolt Feed Only has a big role to play. For us, this is one of the products we are most proud of having developed,” added Krüger.
