Aquaculture Integrated Pest Management

Integrated pest management approaches in aquaculture reduce reliance on medications while maintaining fish welfare through parasite control.

Key Facts

Sea lice resistance to chemical treatments is increasing in salmon farming
Integrated approaches combining biological, mechanical, and targeted chemical control are more sustainable
Wrasse and lumpfish cleaner fish provide biological control with welfare considerations
Lice monitoring enables treatment decisions based on threshold rather than routine application

Welfare Considerations

Salmon farms relying primarily on chemical sea lice treatments face resistance development reducing efficacy over time, creating welfare vulnerability from uncontrolled infestations. Integrated pest management combining monitoring, biological control, physical barriers, freshwater treatments, and targeted chemical use maintains efficacy while reducing chemical dependence. Welfare of cleaner fish used in biological control requires equivalent attention to welfare of the target salmon.

What You Can Do

Support salmon from farms with documented integrated pest management programs
Advocate for IPM requirements in salmon welfare certification
Choose certified salmon demonstrating sustainable lice management
Back research into effective non-chemical lice control for salmon aquaculture