The founder of Norwegian salmon farming giant SalMar says politicians' belief that there is a magic solution to sea lice is nothing more than wishful thinking and that the parasite is here to stay.
"Salmon lice are part of salmon production," said Gustav Witzoe during a seminar at Norwegian bank DNB on Tuesday. "They will always be there. There are expectations they will go away... but it is not possible to get rid of them."
Despite this, Witzoe believes that sea lice are not a major challenge now for the salmon farming industry.
Latin name: Lepeophtheirus salmonis
Distribution: Occurring naturally, their numbers have risen significantly in parallel with the growth of the aquaculture industry.
Biology: Sea lice are parasites with eight life stages, three of which are free-swimming, two of which are stationary and three of which are mobile. They attach themselves to salmon in the third stage.
Size: An adult female lice is around 12 mm (29 mm including egg strings), while an adult male is 6 mm.
Diet: The skin and blood of salmonids. The lice only start feeding when they have attached themselves to a host fish.
Reproduction: All year round, but increasingly quickly as temperatures rise in Spring.
Dispersal: Free-swimming stages spread the lice on currents in fjords and coastal waters.
Treatment: Biological methods (wrasse), chemicals or physical removal.
Source: Institute of Marine Research
"The Norwegian farming industry has been very good at treating lice, and has improved in terms of mortality during treatment. Lice are not a problem for the salmon and the salmon's welfare... There are localities with a greater lice infestation than others, but it is hard to change that," he said.
Sea lice ride high in the minds of authorities when they are setting out regulations for the industry.
Deaths of wild salmon from farmed salmon lice is one of the indicators in Norway's traffic light system that regulates if and how much salmon can be farmed in certain areas.
There is also a requirement for a maximum of 0.5 lice per salmon in cages for most of the year.
"It has not been scientifically proven that the levels that have been set are correct," said Witzoe, although he did not specify which levels he was talking about, and after the panel discussion did not want to elaborate on what he said on the stage.
It was a point quickly disputed by Department Director at the Norwegian Veterinary Institute Edgar Brun, who came to the stage next.
He was crystal clear that salmon lice are the biggest problem for the salmon farming industry, "not necessarily because the farmed salmon is affected, but because we have to protect the environment and the wild salmon," said Brun.
At the same time, treatment against salmon lice sometimes causes major problems for farmed salmon. This particularly applies to treatment with so-called non-medicinal methods, which are used to a greater and greater extent as a result of the reduced effect of various drugs.
"There are methods that are very, very tough on the salmon. It can cause bacterial infections," said Brun.
He pointed to winter sores and atypical winter sores as two bacterial infections that can be indirectly caused by salmon lice. Last year, around 500 cases of this were reported.
One of the most extensive cases of this was at SalMar, where the Norwegian Food Safety Authority this summer gave the company a hefty fine for poor animal welfare. SalMar disagrees with the basis for the fee, but nevertheless chose to accept it.
Brun also talked about the cleaner fish, such as wrasse and lumpfish, that are used to eat salmon lice from the farmed salmon, referring to them as "the slave we abuse until it dies".
"My conclusion is that the production of Norwegian salmon, as it is done today, is not sustainable," said Brun.
Follow the wild fish
Witzoe, in his stint on stage, went on to ask for more flexibility from authorities when it comes to new areas to produce salmon.
"Our locations are historic, and we operate more or less in the same places as we always have. To make a comparison, we know there are certain places where there is more cod than others. What is special about wild fish is that it itself chooses where it will be. For salmon, we decide where it should be," he said.
"We have asked them, but they do not answer. Sometimes they respond with mortality and such. We then try to get them moved, but it is almost impossible because it is the authorities who decide," said Witzoe.
The SalMar chairman reminded delegates that the salmon industry is primarily a biological industry, and that as such both the head and the heart must be used when making investments.
Witzoe worked as a car mechanic outside Oslo, when in 1991 he founded the SalMar in his hometown of Froya.
"As a car mechanic, it was not always so important to have the calculation in place... Whatever we do, the best thing is to make it as sustainable and profitable as possible and that involves having the salmon in the best place," he said.
Witzoe believes salmon don't really thrive in the fjords in which they have traditionally always been farmed. For wild salmon fjords are just a "transport stage" between the river where they are born and spawn, and the sea where they live most of their life.
"Copying wild salmon is priority number one... The salmon is in the wrong place, so the technologist will help us. But I think that is the wrong approach. First, the salmon must be in the right place, then we can use technology to help the salmon, not to save the salmon," he said.
Witzoe and Salmar are a driving force behind offshore aquaculture. Together with Aker, they have established the company Salmar Aker Ocean, which has big plans.
"Within the current production regime, we have the technology for coastal production. In more exposed areas, perhaps 70 percent of the area can be used [for salmon farming] if we want. There is less impact on the environment. There are large areas. The next thing is offshore, out into the sea."
At the same time, Witzoe requested there be a clarification on whether or not there will be ground rent tax on offshore aquaculture. The government has announced this will be included in the state budget in October.
"If the ground rent tax is not clarified, there will be no offshore activity in Norway," said Witzoe.
Turn off the TV
DNB's Dag Sletmo asked Witzoe what he would do if he was fisheries minister. Witzoe said that he largely agreed with the other panelists, who said, among other things, that they would make more areas available for salmon farming.
He also added that he would have sent a more inspirational message to the public about the industry.
"I would like to have created ambitions and inspiration for people to enter the industry and see the potential. Whew! We all just turn off the TV when we hear what's being said now. It's so depressing. We need inspiration for an industry that is so important to the coast."
Witzoe also believes that salmon need a longer shelf-life.
"We have to do something about the shelf life of our fish, so it comes more up to the level of meat. Imagine if we could increase it by 10–14 days. Then we could send it by train to China and by boat to the United States. What potential we have, but we have to be careful right now."
