How do farmers treat salmon that have sea lice?
Treatments are only administered to fish when an outbreak has been confirmed on the farm and is threatening the health of the farmed and/or wild fish. Emamectin benzoate, also called SLICE®, is the primary treatment given to farm fish to treat for sea lice. SLICE® is not a pesticide, it is a drug that is administered to the fish in their feed. This product is available to farmers by veterinary prescription only and it’s use is strictly regulated and controlled. All veterinarian-prescribed drugs have a withdrawal time – a period of time that must pass after treatment ceases before the fish are considered drug free. Fish cannot be harvested for food until after the withdrawal period. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency tests fish destined for market, for drug residues to ensure no trace of any medication is present.
