The costs associated with lice infestations and lice treatments for the seafood industry amount to around NOK 18 billion a year, according to the research institution Nofima. Over the past ten years, the use of drugs against salmon lice has fallen from 95 percent of all treatments to well below 10 percent. This reduction is mainly due to environmental considerations and problems with resistance.
“The aquaculture industry is facing an urgent need for new methods that can reduce the harmful effects of salmon lice in a sustainable way. The transition to non-drug methods has not been unproblematic for the fish, which emphasizes the need for new and more gentle solutions,” says Jan Rune Nordhagen, CEO of Vestland Pharma.
This is the first time a compound has been developed that has a significant effect against salmon lice and, at the same time, is completely natural and environmentally friendly. The drug can thus be safely released into nature without harming other animal species. There is no need for mechanical or thermal treatment.
“Vestland Pharma’s drug has shown very promising results in initial tests. Sarsia has expertise in fish diseases, microbiology, and drug development, as well as experience in financing the development and approval of drugs and developing and scaling start-up companies. We are proud to contribute to the development of a drug that is both effective against salmon lice and safeguards fish welfare and the marine environment,” says Henrik Solberg-Johansen in Sarsia.
“Coast Seafood works closely with fish farmers all over Norway. Salmon lice affect not only fish farmers but the entire value chain. We know how critical the situation has become and will, through the investment in Vestland Pharma, contribute to finding good, environmentally friendly, and efficient solutions,” says Sverre Søraa, CEO of Coast Seafood.
Sarsia and Coast are fully financing the first part of the project by injecting NOK 12 million into Vestland Pharma. The company has also received funding from Innovation Norway’s Environmental Technology Scheme of NOK 10.6 million to conduct studies on fish welfare, efficiency, and ecotoxicology, which are needed to approve the new drug.
