Lice, and the disease related to them, are one of the biggest obstacles that the salmon farming industry is facing at present. Salmon lice are crustacean parasites that attach to the skin of salmon, causing lesions that can reduce health, growth and survival. Sea lice infestation can also compromise fish welfare and its treatment costs the salmon industry in the region of €300m every year and £30m every year in the UK alone.
This phenomenon is fast becoming the primary threat to salmon farming, at a time when demand for salmon is increasing – from one million tonnes in 2002 to over two million tonnes in 2012.
‘Cleaner-fish’, predominantly Lumpfish, are being used in research projects to combat this and promote sustainable fish breeding, rearing and supply. The commercial use of cleaner-fish as a means of sea lice control has gathered significant momentum over the last few years. Like wrasse, lumpsuckers can cohabit with salmon and feed on sea lice, and they have been identified as a complementary species to wrasse in boosting the supply of cleaner-fish to the industry.
In order to meet the demand for both research projects and future breeding/rearing requirements, Purewell Fish Farming has developed a range of lumpfish tanks which will meet those demands and provide research facilities with the high-quality equipment to conduct tests, and lumpfish production organisations with robust, purposeful tanks built to withstand the rigours of such an environment.
Purewell Fish Farming’s new lumpfish tanks start with a 1m diameter x 1m deep tank, perfect for young stock and with an integral stainless steel screen and a low maintenance sump. These can be supplied freestanding or ready to drop into a pre-laid drainage/RAS system.
There are two options at 2m diameter – both built to the same exacting standards, but with differing centre-pieces, depending upon end-user requirements. These centre-pieces have been designed with a variety of research projects and commercial uses in mind; in essence, a cone-shaped centre-piece, or a barrel-style arrangement, designed for larger stock or working with higher flow-rates.
The largest of Purewell Fish Farming’s lumpfish tanks is 3m in diameter, comes as a 2-section tank with all fittings and seals supplied. This tank is as standard 1m deep but can be extended to suit individual client needs.
Designed with the industry in mind, Purewell Fish Farming has yet again proved that an ever-changing world demands solutions that not only keep pace but a step ahead.
