Fish Vet Group (FVG) has announced that it has successfully obtained an Import Tolerance for azamethiphos, the active ingredient in Benchmark’s sea lice treatments.
The news comes after the company’s close cooperation and work with the US Food and Drug Authority (FDA) over the past five years.
“Salmon farmers in Norway, Chile, Canada, Faroe Islands, UK and Ireland now have the freedom to develop robust a treatment and management plan for all of their facilities,” said John Marshall, FVG’s technical director.
He added: “As well as export salmon treated with Salmosa, Salmosa Vet and Byelice (Benchmark’s sea lice treatments) with confidence.”
This is a major step forward for Atlantic Salmon producers, with sea lice becoming an increasing welfare issue and costing the industry more than US$500m per year.
Global production of farmed Atlantic salmon is approximately two million tonnes, and of this volume more than 10% is exported to the US market annually.
Producers can now select from stock treated with any of the current Benchmark sea lice products available on the market today for export to the US.
