The Caligus rogercresseyi (commonly known as cáligus) is a significant challenge for the salmon farming industry as it affects the health status of the fish, stressing them and compromising the mucus and skin, their first line of immune defense.

Due to the generation of resistance to antiparasitic products, it becomes relevant complement the control strategies with non-pharmacological methods. This has led to the search for alternatives, such as physical barriers, including lice nets which reduce the interaction between the surface water bodies outside the center and the fish inside this, thus hindering the entry of nauplii, copepodites and adult caligus reducing the infestation.

"In Chile there are two centers operating with our Skirt X12 in Cermaq, five in Mowi and one in Southern Salmons, endorsed by the positive results nationally and internationally obtained, as in Cermaq Canada, for example, where they have centres equipped with this technology", says the manager of Garware Technical Fibres for the Americas, Gopakumar Menon.

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The operational results of these tests are expected within six months to one year, which will make it possible to verify the effectiveness of skirts in several aspects: reduction of bath treatments, decrease in the number of calygus, mortality and management costs, along with Improvements in animal and environmental welfare.

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"The use of Skirt is a non-pharmacological tool, part of a Integrated health strategy to reduce infestations by sea lice, decreasing the need for chemical treatments, which is a contribution that potentially dilates the generation of resistance to help decrease your frequency. In addition to this the economic benefit, since a bath treatment has a cost comparable to that of a Skirt, which has a service life approximately two cycles of cultivation", assures the Negocio asociado by Garware Technical Fibres Chile, Marcos Jofré.

The Research and Development Department (R & D) of Garware Wai, India, created this three-dimensional microthel with openings of 80 to 150 microns for Norway and 60 to 100 microns for Chile, adapted to the particularities of the parasite of each region.

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"In Chile, Skirt X12 has been implemented without the need to add oxygen, thanks to the fact that the skirt allows the flow of water and dissolved oxygen in it," they say in the company.

For more information, visit: www.garwarefibres.com

*Photos: courtesy of Garware.