With support from Innovation Norway, the company has initiated research projects to develop a new preventive method for lice infestation. The project is called LiceSweep^™ and is based on filtering out lice larvae in the surface of the pen along the net wall. Here, in the eel zone, feed residues, garbage, seaweed and kelp accumulate, but also a diversity of planktonic organisms – including nauplii and copepodites.

^LiceSweep™ is patented and in the fall of 2023 the system will undergo a biological verification run over 4 months in collaboration with Salaks AS in Sør-Troms.

The project aims to uncover the amount of filtered lice (DNA analysis, NINA), how lice levels in the test pen are affected compared to reference pens and how light attraction to zoo-plankton can help remove as many free-swimming organisms as possible in the pen.

Secondarily, the project will assess growth/appetite and fish health, as well as environmental parameters as a result of cleaner water in the pen. The system will also be able to remove poisonous jellyfish such as the Apolemia uvaria and similar species.