Snorkels for Salmon:An innovative strategy to keep salmon free of lice

摘要

Salmon farmers may soon have another option in the continuing fight against sea lice.A new "snorkel cage" developed by researchers from the Institute of Marine Research (IMR) and the University of Melbourne in cooperation with Egersund Net, Norway is apparently proving effective in reducing lice-infection rates, by keeping the salmon below the shallow water that is home to lice — the "louse zone."At a depth of 3-4 metres inside the cage, netting is used to form a ceiling and a central cylindrical passage that extends above the surface of the water (see illustration). This snorkel is encircled by a tarpaulin or plankton cloth, securing a lice-freewater passage through which the salmon can swim to the surface and gulp some air to fill their swim bladder.