Evaluation of the environmental fate and biological effects of the anti-sea lice chemotherapeutant SLICE^® - Phase-II

Description

This constitutes Phase-II of the project that was initiated in fiscal year 2008/09. The aim of this project is to:

• complete the environmental measurements of emamectin benzoate (EB), the active compound in the anti-sea lice treatment SLICE^® , and its desmethyl metabolite that started during Phase-I; and
• to expand the scope of the toxicological impacts work using a wide range of genomics based methodologies.

The potential impact of EB on the Pacific Spot Prawn, Pandalus platyceros, under both laboratory and field conditions, is being examined. The outcomes of the laboratory study will provide a framework and the context against which field derived measurements can be assessed. The overall findings will provide the most detailed and comprehensive assessment of the potential effects of the application of SLICE^® at marine cage finfish farm locations on the surrounding benthic environment and resident prawn populations. The measured environmental EB concentrations will be used to test, calibrate and implement the DEPOMOD model to predict the behaviour of EB in relevant aquatic ecosystems, which will be useful in developing policy towards the regulation of SLICE^® utilization.

Findings

N/A

Publications

N/A

Program Name

Program for Aquaculture Regulatory Research (PARR)

Year(s)

2009 to 2010

Ecoregion(s)

National

Principal Investigator(s)

Michael Ikonomou
Email: Michael.Ikonomou@dfo-mpo.gc.ca