The Patagonian blenny has proved helpful as sea lice biocontroller, one of the most expensive pest to the salmon industry. (Photo: Stock File)

Fundacion Chile proves Patagonian blenny potential as sea lice biocontroller

Researchers from Fundación Chile were part of a group of 60 experts, internationally recognized in the study of fish, who participated in a book on biocontrollers in aquaculture, being the only ones from a country in the southern hemisphere.

The book was edited in England by Jim Treasurer, a Research Manager of FAI Aquaculture, Marine Research Facility Ardtoe. The text analyzes the experiences of farming cleaner fish in different countries, with descriptions of specialists from Norway, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Canada and Chile.

"The Patagonian blenny (Eleginops maclovinus): a Chilean native fish with potential to control sea lice (Caligus rogercresseyi) infestations in salmon", is the chapter developed by Juan Carlos Sánchez, Martin Hevia and Patricio J. Sáez, members of the Aquaculture team at Fundación Chile, together with Jorge Mancilla, from the company Marine Harvest.

Martin Hevia, Aquaculture executive director at Fundacion Chile, comments that the contribution to the book arose from two Corfo projects with biocontrol fish, specifically the Patagonian blenny.

     Martin Hevia, executive director of aquaculture at Fundación Chile (Photo: courtesy of Diario Financiero)

"With the support of Aquadvise and Marine Harvest, we made five bioassays on land and an interesting biocontrol response from Caligus salmon was found, around 50 per cent or higher. Then, it was tested in a cage in an experimental centre belonging to Marine Harvest, where the effect of biocontrol of sea lice was validated at sea, which is a basis to continue studying this and other cleaner fish."

According to Martin Hevia, the interest in farming biocontrol fish is linked to "a worldwide tendency to use fewer chemotherapeutics and find species that fulfill that cleansing role. It is an environmentally friendly alternative that gives sustainability to the aquaculture industry. "

It should be noted that "sea lice" are considered one of the most expensive pests in the aquaculture industry, so their control is a permanent challenge for salmon producers. The chapter developed by Fundacion Chile team thoroughly describes the research of Pataonian blenny as a biocontroller, which was initiated -as it often happens in science- in a project that had another objective, such as farming this species for aquaculture diversification.

"We realized that, in addition to cleaning the fouling of the cages, they also self-cleaned and, when mixed with salmon, we found that there was a biocontrol activity," says Martin Hevia.

Hevia explains that "not every fish develops that cleansing ability. The salmon, for example, does not have it, while the Patagonian blenny seeks food by browsing the biofouling attached to the rocks."

Although the study has already concluded, Martin Hevia emphasizes that they are still interested in expanding that knowledge and "to have one or more endemic species that are good biocontrollers, and that can also be produced massively, as other countries have done. In Norway, for example, they have two or three species that fulfill that role."

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