Aqua Pharma invests in research & innovation, and collaborates with different stakeholders, to drastically lower environmental impact and increase animal welfare in aquaculture segments. We have a great responsibility to increase transparency in aquaculture and to reassure consumers that the fish and shrimp we eat are sustainably farmed according to the highest welfare standards.

DATA MINING FOR MORE PRECISE TREATMENT ADVICE

Disease prevention and control in aquaculture is almost a fine art. The farm production team and veterinarians need to factor in a range of criteria from water quality and algae levels, fish or shrimp strength, lifecycle of the stock, water temperatures and previous disease management method used.

When the proper skills and expertise are applied, raw public data, together with farm data and real time measurements can be turned into an extremely valuable and reliable tool to drive important decisions on the farm. Depending on the problem at hand, it can actually provide better insights than a farmer’s own production data.

Aqua Pharma has started a research initiative to learn from this combination of historic data and real time data, to help fish producers pinpoint the best time to carry out treatments. Our team in Norway partners on this initiative with the environmental consulting firm SEA ECO to monitor the quality of the water in real time with algae probes.

ACOUSTIC MIXING TO OVERCOME SEA LICE RESISTANCE

The growth ambition of the aquaculture industry will only be reached if new viable, integrative methods for prevention and control of diseases reach the marketplace on time. Resistance build-up to existing methods, increased awareness of animal welfare and minimum environmental impact are the main drivers for this market need. Recognising the need,

Aqua Pharma and marine physics start-up PULCEA teamed up to develop an acoustic mixing technology to overcome tolerance of marine ectoparasites against the existing Paramove® treatment. This collaboration is part of the European Union funded “BREEZE” project, which will enhance the sustainability of the existing bath concept by a more responsible use of the resources.

BIOLOGICAL CLEAN-UP OF RESIDUES

The main benefit of the existing Paramove® bath concept is that it quickly removes the parasites (also killing the eggs of gravid females), leaving no residue in the fish itself. In the environment, the substance decomposes into oxygen and water. It is this potent combination of benefits that led the Solar Impulse Foundation to award the World Alliance for Efficient Solutions label to this concept in 2020.

Aqua Pharma and NOVOZYMES are now taking the next step to drastically lower environmental impact of anti-sea lice treatments. As part of the European Union funded “BREEZE” project, a post-treatment biological clean-up method is being developed to neutralise up to 90% of the remaining residues. The mechanisms rely on the use of a natural occurring enzyme. By speeding up the decomposition and minimising the residue in the sea, the environmental nature of the existing concept will be enhanced, while food safety is ensured. Follow us on Social Media to stay tuned.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE FOR DISEASE PREVENTION

SEATRU, an aquaculture technology venture, is an artificial intelligence platform to predict disease outbreaks and improve health management of farms. With SEATRU, we are transforming aquaculture and ushering farmers into the “blue revolution”. Through research and development of advanced technologies in disinfectant treatments, microbial monitoring, animal gut health, and artificial intelligence, we are creating stable water conditions and ensuring increased performance. Aqua Pharma and partners are ambitious and aspire to lead the way in AI-driven aquaculture pathology and breakthrough developments for disease management.

Aqua Pharma products

PARAMOVE - Veterinary Medicinal Product