Parasiticide for farmed salmon has obtained full approval in Canada

Slice (emamectin benzoate), a leading product for controlling immature and adult stages of sea lice in farm-raised salmon, has received full approval from the Veterinary Drugs Directorate in Canada.

The approval was granted after the parasiticide met all of Health Canada’s requirements for human safety, according to the product’s developer, Intervet/Schering-Plough Animal Health.

Slice has been used in Canada since 1999, when Health Canada authorized it for sale to veterinarians on a case-by-case basis through the Veterinary Drugs Directorate's Emergency Drug Release (EDR) program. A specific Canadian-labeled product will not be available until the end of the year; in the meantime, the EDR-labeled product will continue to be available.

Sea lice attack the skin of the fish, making them more susceptible to other infections and eventually leading to reduced muscle mass and death. Superficial damage on lice-infected salmon can also reduce their market value for aesthetic reasons.

In Canada, Slice 0.2% Premix is indicated as an aid in the treatment of parasitic infestations caused by all parasitic stages of the sea louse (Lepeophtheirus salmonis) on Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar). The product is approved in Canada with no required withdrawal time before harvest. Slice is already approved for use in many other markets with farmed salmon, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Norway and Chile.