Merck Animal Health, a division of US-based Merck & Co, announced Tuesday it acquired Pentair-owned Vaki, a leader in fish farming and wild fish monitoring equipment.
Vaki will be a leading brand under the Biomark business within Merck Animal Health, focused on a range of equipment, products and technology for fish counting and size estimation from freshwater to saltwater rearing.
Biomark specializes in electronic identification technology used in fisheries, wildlife and aquaculture research, including product sales, custom manufacturing, installation and extensive data management and analysis.
The company also announced Tuesday it appointed Brian Beckley as Biomark's president. Beckley previously served as COO of Biomark, where he was responsible for commercial activities in support of the aquaculture and wildlife and conservation businesses, including the recent acquisition of Vaki.
Merck Animal Health as a global leader in broadening its aquaculture portfolio by expanding into complementary fish farming and conservation areas to generate outcomes with precision farming and fish welfare solutions, which complement its existing portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, it said.
