Grant: Engage Grants Program

Salmon is the main species produced on Canadian aquaculture accounting for 69% of total production. It is BC's largest agricultural export product and the largest crop in the NB agri-food sector. The DFO projects production at 140,000 tonnes with farm gate revenues of $850 million in 2013 growing to 197,000 tonnes and $1.2 billion by 2020. Sea lice are the most economically important pathogen in salmon farming and a major environmental concern. Losses to Canadian industry attributed to sea lice infection and the associated reduced fitness and cost of treatment have been estimated at 10-20% of the total landed value (TLV), i.e., more than $50 million in 2010. The most effective treatment, through the early part of the new millennium, was an in-feed treatment called SLICETM (Schering-Plough), which now has exhibited inefficacy due to resistance by sea lice in numerous countries over the past couple years (Bravo et al., 2008; Lees et al., 2008). With no new treatments for licensing on the horizon, farmers in Canada and around the world will be left with the high costs of SLICE treatment, or bath chemicals multiple times a year and with little hope of success. We hope to exploit our knowledge of the host-parasite interaction and both prevent settlement of lice and reduce development and pathology of successful infection through an in-feed treatment with anti-attachment and immunostimulatory effects. Any treatment regime, vaccine or immunostimulant that can provide significant protection, will have immediate economic impact and improve Canadian salmon farming industry efficiency of production and sustainability. Canadian salmon farmers would experience greater profit margins, due to the reduction in other louse treatments, labour costs associated with treatments and louse enumeration, and enhanced fish feed conversion ratios, following reductions in infection stress. The feed production company (EWOS) able to provide these enhancements would increase their market share both nationally (Currently not a major supplier to Atlantic Canada) and internationally.