Pioneering
Beginning as late as the 1960s, professional aquaculture is a relatively young industry in Norway. Benefiting from centuries of local fishery traditions and an ideal location, the emerging aquaculture industry was quick to realize the practical need for high-level technology in order to maximize production and to get the best returns.
Thirty years on, Norway is the world's leading Atlantic salmon producer. Building on this pioneering spirit, new species like Atlantic halibut and Atlantic cod have since been introduced into fish farming. But intensive production of living creatures has downsides, one being disease. Happily, Norwegians were quick to add a new priority: safeguarding fish health.
These priorities have brought Norwegian aquaculture to the success it is today. Disease research and the implementation of new disease control concepts are crucial. The development of fish vaccines has played a dominant role over the years in controlling major fish diseases and has also helped reduce risks to human health and the environment by reducing the need for large-scale use of antibiotics.
Both Norwegian health product developments and expertise were quickly found to be of use elsewhere. Aquatic animal health (AAH) products have now been developed for other aquaculture species. Products and technology are being further customized to other regions throughout the world, nurturing global aquaculture.
In conjunction with our other colleagues within the AAH Division of Intervet International, Intervet Norbio has supported the growth of aquaculture throughout its history, developing specialist vaccines and other healthcare products, in addition to providing valuable veterinary and technical advice.
But to avoid being washed away by the tide of history, the developer of AAH products must foresee the future. Intervet, through its combination of foresight and expertise has that ability. For example, as the leading developer of efficacious and safe fish vaccines, we have pioneered the responsible use of recombinant DNA technology.
