Salmon sea lice control policy

Owner/approver: COO Farming

Last audited: 2025-09-01

Purpose

Lerøy’s efforts to control salmon lice follow the principles of an IPM strategy to control salmon lice and keep the numbers at a low level in the long term. The goal is to reduce the negative impact on the environment and the need for active interventions. This policy provides a principal description of how the Group works to control salmon lice.

Valid for

This policy applies to all the Group's farming operations.

Definitions

Salmon lice: Lepeophteirus salmonis. A copepod and parasite living on salmon.

Integrated pest management (IPM): A control strategy with different complementary measures that supplement each other, aiming to control salmon lice and keep them at a low level. The core elements of an IPM strategy are prevention, monitoring and control.

Framework and principles

Lerøy’s efforts to control salmon lice follow the principles of an IPM strategy to control salmon lice and keep the numbers at a low level in the long term. The goal is to reduce the negative impact on the environment and the need for active interventions. Below is a description of the overall principles underlying this control strategy.

1.     Acceptable level: Requirements from the authorities provide a definition, at any given time, of the upper maximum limits for fully grown female lice.  The following statutory requirements currently apply:

• Nord-Trøndelag and regions to the south shall, with effect from Monday in calendar week 16 and up to and including Sunday in calendar week 21 have less than 0.2 adult female lice on average per fish in the fish farms. With effect from Monday in calendar week 22 and up to and including Sunday in calendar week 15, there shall be less than 0.5 adult female lice on average per fish in the fish farms.
• Nordland, Troms and Finnmark shall, with effect from Monday in calendar week 21 and up to and including Sunday in calendar week 26 have less than 0.2 adult female lice on average per fish in the fish farms. With effect from Monday in calendar week 27 and up to and including Sunday in calendar week 20, there shall be less than 0.5 adult female lice on average per fish in the fish farms.

Lerøy has also established their own limit values to provide guidelines for when to implement preventive and active measures to combat salmon lice.

2.     Preventive measures: Prevention is the first line of defence, aiming to control the levels of salmon lice by making use of passive control mechanisms. The methods utilised depend on local prerequisites, and entail use of one or more of the following measures:

• Structural measures relating to use of locality
• Coordinated operations over larger geographical areas
• Zone collaboration
• Fallow periods in between production cycles
• Smolt quality and smolt weight as measures to reduce period of exposure
• Use of various types of physical barriers

3.     Monitoring: All groups of fish are regularly monitored with a view to the incidence and development of salmon lice. The purpose of monitoring is to ensure that the company always operates in accordance with regulatory requirements. Monitoring is also required to control salmon lice by providing data for continuous assessments performed by the company in relation to evaluating measures to control salmon lice. Monitoring is carried out per cage.

4.     Controlling measures: Cleaner fish and lice lasers represent control methods aimed at reducing the need for active interventions. The use of cleaner fish or lice lasers depends on local conditions and is dynamic, adapted to the specific conditions of each site.

5.     Active interventions: Active interventions are divided into the following categories:

• Non-medicinal methods: These methods are based on different types of measures that do not include the use of medicines. Lerøy makes use of methods within the categories for fresh water, flushing and temperate water.
• Medicinal methods: These methods are based on the use of medicines. In cases where medicines are utilised, these shall be 1) prescribed by authorised fish health personnel and 2) evaluated with a view to the risk for fish welfare, food safety, environment and resistance, and 3) where only medicines approved by Norwegian medicines authorities are used.

Roles and responsibilities

The policy is administered by the Group's subsidiaries, which are responsible for ensuring compliance in line with the descriptions provided.

Policy ownership and implementation

• The management of the various subsidiaries is responsible for policy implementation
• The Fish Health Manager LSG is responsible for updating this policy
• The policy is approved by the Group management, presented to the audit committee, and approved by the Group's board.
• The policy is approved by Bjarne Reinert, COO Farming