Farmed salmon production in Maine, which dropped off after the infectious salmon anemia (ISA) outbreaks more than 15 years ago but has slowly grown back, could double if Cooke Aquaculture is successful in using an environmentally friendly process to remove sea lice from the fish. The new process could save the company millions of dollars. The Canadian government recently announced it is investing $3 million in the project, which is estimated to cost over $5 million, with Cooke investing nearly $2 million. The company is hoping to begin using the new sea lice treatment process, which uses warm water instead of costly therapeutants to remove the lice, within the next month.
     Nell Halse, vice president of communications for Cooke Aquaculture, says that Cooke has not been stocking some fish farms because the company does not have enough treatment options to manage sea lice. "If we had effective sea lice management tools, we could stock at least three additional good farms in the Cobscook area and more than double our production in Maine," she says. The increased production would provide more jobs in the area and have "a direct impact on communities."
      Presently in Canada the only therapeutant that is permitted for use in treating for sea lice is Salmosan, and in Maine only hydrogen peroxide may be used. Slice, an in-feed treatment option, is also being used. However, Alphamax and Excis, a trade name for cypermethrin -- both of which are toxic at certain levels to crustaceans, including lobsters -- are not currently approved for use. In 2013, a Cooke subsidiary was fined $500,000, one of the largest penalties ever levied in Canada under the Fisheries Act, for using cypermethrin at 15 New Brunswick aquaculture sites that led to lobster deaths around Deer Island and Grand Manan.
      Concerning the company's need for new treatments for sea lice, Halse observes, "On both sides of the border our options are very limited, compared to other countries like Scotland and Norway." She says the work to develop new methods for removing sea lice "is critical to our business." Other alternatives that are being pursued include cleaner fish and breeding programs. Currently, some farm sites in New Brunswick and Newfoundland are testing out the use of lumpfish and cunner to remove sea lice. They may be used in Maine, too, if trials prove they are effective. Also, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's aquaculture research facility in Franklin is working on breeding for different traits in salmon, including resistance to sea lice, using genomic tools.
     Halse points out that because of warmer water temperatures salmon farming companies have been dealing with sea lice outbreaks later in the year. With higher water temperatures, hydrogen peroxide does not work effectively and also damages the fish. "This year the water temperatures have been too high, and the well-boat treatments are not having the same impact," she says. "We need a number of different tools to deal with different water temperatures and different sea lice development stages."
     Cooke estimates that the sea lice infestation has cost the industry in New Brunswick and Newfoundland and Labrador over $15 million a year for the past five years, with the company having lost thousands of fish some years because of sea lice. Worldwide, salmon farming companies budget 10% of their costs for sea lice treatment, and the same is true for Cooke Aquaculture, says Halse. That amount does not include any funding for research and development of new types of treatment.

New treatment outlined
     The process that Cooke is developing in partnership with the federal government is currently up for patent. Cooke is having a large barge built at a Nova Scotia shipyard for the warm-water baths, with local manufacturers constructing the pumping and shower systems. Eventually Cooke plans to have a number of barges constructed.
     Aboard the barge seawater will be heated to a lukewarm temperature in a closed loop recirculation system. The water will be constantly passing through heat exchangers and filters to maintain water purity. The salmon will be pumped aboard the barge, where the warm water will knock the sea lice off the fish. It's estimated that 95% of the sea lice will be removed from the fish.      "We need to clean each farm in a short amount of time," says Halse, in order to stay ahead of the sea lice infestations.
      Currently, with the well-boats that use a bath treatment of hydrogen peroxide, the sea lice are returned to the marine environment. With the warm-water treatment process, the sea lice will be captured and brought ashore for disposal.
     Although there are different methods for sea lice removal and some ongoing trials in Norway, Halse says, "This is unique to us. It's been designed in-house." The company has been working with Fisheries and Oceans Canada's St. Andrews Biological Station, where the lab work has been conducted.
     The Government of Canada's $3 million investment is through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency's Atlantic Innovation Fund, as well as $247,000 through the Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program. The funding was announced on September 16 at the St. Andrews Biological Station.
     At the announcement, Cooke Aquaculture CEO Glenn Cooke stated, "Managing fish health has always been of paramount importance to our family's fish farming business. That means working with our in‑house scientists, veterinarians and engineers to explore innovative new ways of doing things. It also means partnering with science organizations and with our government to develop effective solutions for farming challenges like managing sea lice."
      Karen Ludwig, member of Parliament for New Brunswick Southwest, commented, "Innovation is the path to inclusive growth. It fosters a thriving middle class and opens our country to new economic, social and environmental possibilities and is essential in shaping our future. That is why the Government of Canada is committed to supporting projects like the one being undertaken by Cooke Aquaculture."
     Cooke expects this green alternative to purchasing costly therapeutants will provide significant savings for the company and strengthen the Atlantic salmon's competitiveness in the marketplace.