Integrated Pest Management of
Sea Lice in Salmon Aquaculture
SPEAKING FOR THE SALMON
Encouraging Innovative Solutions for Sustainable Salmon Aquaculture
Thursday, November 29, 2007
Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue, Simon Fraser University
Myron Roth
Aquaculture Development Branch, BCMAL
Objectives
•  Review Sea Lice Biology
•  Review IPM
•  Review Current BC Sea Lice Strategy
Sea Lice
•  Parasitic Copepods
–  infect both wild and farmed fish
•  Several species:
–  Lepeophtheirus salmonis (salmonids)
–  Caligus clemensi, C. cuneifer (salmonids & non-salmonids)
–  Distinguishing characteristics:
»  size, colour, shape, length of filament (chalimus), +/- “lunules”
Life Cycle
Pathology
Integrated Pest Management
“IPM is a multifactoral approach to pest
management that involves a series of
evaluations, decisions and controls that take
advantage of all pest management options and
strategies to achieve long-term solutions.”
Integrated Pest Management
Prevention
1.
2.
3.
4.
9.
Location of Sites
Year Class Separation
Fallowing
Husbandry
1.  Good Husbandry Practices – Minimize Stress
  Selective Breeding
  Stocking Densities
  Nutrition
  Hygiene
  Predatory Control
Innovative Technology
Innovative Technology
Cleaner Fish - Wrasse
Terecos Sea Lice Lure
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. ..
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Vaccines?
. .. .
.
. ..
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.
. . . .
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Immunostimulants?
Setting Action Levels
BC:
NB:
Year Round: 3 motile lice/fish
Year Round: 5 adults/fish, 0.25 adult females/fish
Maine: 5 Adults/fish, 1.0 adult females/fish
Norway: December – June: 5 motile lice/fish, 0.5 adult lice/fish
July – November: 10 motile lice/fish, 2 adult female lice/fish
Ireland: March – April: 0.3-0.5 motile lice/fish
May – February: 2 adult female lice/fish
Monitoring & Identification
1. Sampling programs
1. Frequency/sample size
2. Identifying species/life stages
3. Data Assessment/Reporting
Intervention
1. Pumping (physical removal)
2. Relocating sites
3. Harvest
4. Treatment
Therapeutants
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Salmosan® (azamethiphos)
Salartect® (hydrogen peroxide)
SHC Pyrethrin Spray® (pyrethrum)
Ivomec® (ivermectin)
Cal-X® (teflubenzuron)
Slice® (emamectin benzoate)
Bath
In Feed
Treatment
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
Availability
Efficacy
Mode of Application
Time to Harvest
Temperature
Coordination with other sites
Timing (winter vs. spring)
Treatment Assessment
Resistance Management
  Treatment Rotation
  Accurate Dose/Duration (accurate weight samples data)
  Sensitivity Testing
Resistance
“Increase in quantity of dose rate of a
chemotherapeutant required to produce a
given response due a chance in the
frequency of gene(s) in a population of the
gene(s) that control susceptibility to the
chemotherapeutant.”
Resistance
  Ops
→  full resistance in many sea lice populations
  pyrethroids (?), H202 (?)
→  reduce efficacy reported in lice
  Avermectins
→  documented in several species of helminths, beetles and
mites
Sea Lice Sensitivity to Aquagard
Jones t. al, 1992
Jones et. al, 1992
BC Sea Lice Management Strategy
•  Mandatory Sea Lice Monitoring
–  Must be part of Fish Health Management Plan
–  Condition of Licensure (November 2003)
•  Research & Development
–  Identification of priorities, ACRDP Project work
•  Coordination and communication of lice monitoring
–  Technical Advisory Team (Prov, DFO, Industry)
–  Mandatory reporting (quarterly, MAL Website)
–  MAL Auditing of farms to validate numbers
•  Education & Training in Lice identification
3-4
3-5
3-3
4
3-2
3
2-4
2-2
3-1
2
2-3
2-1
Current Monitoring & Auditing
Activities
•  Atlantic Salmon
–  Monthly Sampling in BCMAL Zone/Subzone
–  Sampling increased to 2x/month if action levels reached
–  If action level reached during March-July, action to be taken
(harvest, treatment)
–  Sampling
•  3 pens/20 fish/pen
•  Leps: adult females/motile lice; Caligus
Next Steps
•  Continue Monitoring & Reporting
•  Support Research Initiatives
•  Review & Re-evaluation
–  Program Results
–  New Technology/Tools/Latest Science
•  Communication