Benchmark's CleanTreat system to be trialled

Benchmark's water purification system, CleanTreat, is going to be trialled as a medicine to treat sea lice on salmon, in what will be a step towards improving fish health and wellbeing.

The system will be tested at Mowi's fish farm in Scotland over the coming month and will be supported by the University of Stirling's Institute of Aquaculture and the Sustainable Aquaculture Innovation Centre (SAIC).

CleanTreat's effectiveness will be tested in removing Salmosan Vet in a range of conditions, in order to better determine how and in what quantities it can be filtered from treatment water. Benchmark's Salmosan Vet is a treatment for sea lice and has been approved for use in Scotland since the 1990s.

Historically, salmon have been treated with Salmosan Vet within a closed tarpaulin, placed inside a net pen. Salmon will instead be guided into a vessel customised for treatment, after which fish will be returned to the net pen and water will be transferred to the CleanTreat system. The medicine is removed, along with any organic matter in the filtration process, and purified water is released into the sea. By removing organic material from the treatment water – which encompasses sea lice and sea lice egg strings – this will help prevent development of resistance against the medicine.

By introducing CleanTreat, the aims are to reduce the costs behind managing sea lice – around UK£40 million annually in Scotland – as well as facilitate fish farmers to respond quicker to sea lice challenges, provide more effective and precise treatment, and improve the process of treating sea lice overall. Producers are hoped to have the ability to treat multiple pens within a shorter time frame, ensuring that a larger number of fish receive the medicine.

Image credit: SAIC

"As a salmon producer, the health and wellbeing of our fish is of paramount importance. We take a number of different approaches to supporting their welfare, including the use of medicines," says Dougie Hunter, technical director and managing director for ocean matters at Mowi. "However, we are always conscious of any potential environmental impact and the introduction of CleanTreat could help alleviate some of the current limitations of Salmosan Vet. This could be a significant boost to fish health and welfare across our sites."

Mark Todman, head of business development at Benchmark, says, "At Benchmark, we are excited to be collaborating with SAIC, the University of Stirling and Mowi on this pilot trial. CleanTreat could enable the use of efficacious and high welfare medicines like Salmosan Vet in the most environmentally responsible manner possible, providing the best outcomes for both farmers and their fish."

Heather Jones, CEO of SAIC, concludes, "The potential introduction of CleanTreat could be a significant improvement on how the aquaculture sector uses medicines, but it is important to note that it is an enhancement of an already closely controlled and tightly regulated process. Alongside cleaner fish and other approaches, medicines are a crucial part of the toolbox necessary for managing the perennial issue of sea lice. This project is another great example of how businesses and universities can work together to make a big difference to fish health."

For more information on Benchmark visit their website, HERE.

For more information on the Institute of Aquaculture visit their website, HERE.

For more information on the SAIC visit their website, HERE.

The Aquaculturists

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