Eight salmon production centers adopt the use of Garware Anti Caligus Skirts

Caligus is a persistent problem in the Chilean salmon industry, affecting the health of fish by damaging their skin and mucus, making them more vulnerable to diseases. With increasing resistance to antiparasitic treatments, it has become crucial to incorporate non-pharmacological methods into control strategies. One of these methods is physical barriers, such as anti-lice flaps, which reduce the interaction between outside water and fish, limiting the entry of early stages of Caligus and decreasing infestation.

In this context, a couple of years ago, the Garware R&D department – in Wai, India – created the Skirt for Chile, adapted to the particularities of the parasite in each region.

Currently in Chile, Garware’s Skirt X12 is being used in 8 salmon farming centers: two in Cermaq, five in Mowi and one in Salmones Austral; backed by the positive results obtained nationally and internationally. Furthermore, according to the company, this implementation in Chile has occurred without the need to add extra oxygen to the cages, thanks to the fact that the skirt allows the passage of water and oxygen dissolved in it.

The operational results of these tests are expected within six months to a year, which will allow us to verify the effectiveness of the skirts in several aspects: reduction of bathing treatments, the number of Caligus, mortality and management costs. , along with improvements in animal and environmental welfare.

All in all, Skirt X12 is part of a non-pharmacological strategy that seeks to reduce the need for chemical treatments, helping to delay the generation of resistance in parasites. Furthermore, its cost is comparable to that of a bath treatment, but with a useful life of up to two growing cycles.

Source: www.mundoacuicola.cl