Launch of a plant-based product for the health of freshwater fish
Scotland: This is a Canadian plant-based product to maintain optimal health of fish during the early stages of life in freshwater operations.
Supratect, manufactured by RPS Biologiques, from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island (PEI), will be distributed by the fish health company STIM Scotland, which will also provide technical support. The product will be available from August.
RPS claims that Supratect is a highly effective natural product for maintaining optimal fish and fish egg health, is non-toxic, has no adverse effects on human or fish health, and can be used as part of an integrated health management approach.
Dedicated Support
"RPS Biologiques is excited to launch its first product to support Scottish aquaculture, following successful launches in Canada and Chile," said the company's CEO, Subrata Chowdhury.
"For the first time, an effective natural product can be used as part of an integrated approach to fish health management, supporting both traditional and organic aquaculture activities. Our partnership with STIM Scotland provides specialized freshwater technical assistance, and we look forward to helping our clients improve freshwater outcomes," the executive stated.
The technical manager of STIM Scotland, Justin Watson, noted that the launch of Supratect in Scotland was an important milestone.
"Supratect will further strengthen the tools for aquaculturists as part of an integrated approach to fish health management," Watson added.
Driven by science
RPS is a science-driven company that offers a variety of products and services in the aquatic, animal, and human health sectors. It was founded by Chowdhury, a molecular biologist and leader in the fields of microbiology, virology, immunology, and genetics.
Supratect is the first product that RPS has introduced in the UK market. The research behind the product was mainly conducted at the Huntsman Marine Science Centre in St. Andrews, New Brunswick, and was developed at the PEI BioFoodTech Centre.
RPS is a member of the PEI Bioalliance and the Emergence Incubator. Other aquaculture products from the company include Puralyze, a plant-based immersion bath to maintain optimal fish health, and FeedShield fish meal stabilizer, an herbal-based product to increase the shelf life of fish meal.
Vaccines against sea lice
The company is also in the research and development stages of several vaccines based on its patented DNA/RNAi technology platform. It has developed two vaccines against sea lice that have been tested by the Huntsman Center. Samples from the fish that participated in the trial are being examined to determine the genetic expression at the Atlantic Veterinary College of PEI University.
RPS has developed DNA/RNAi vaccines against infectious salmon anemia (ISA) that have been tested in vivo and in vitro (RNAi). With successful results in vitro, RPS conducted an in vivo trial with the St. Andrews Biological Station in New Brunswick and rated the outcome as encouraging.
