Method and apparatus for removal of sea lice from live fish

Abstract

A fish delousing installation includes a warm water source, and a fish slide for fish to slide down. The fish slide has a fish inlet, a fish outlet, and a slide length defined therebetween. A plurality of shower nozzles are in communication with the warm water source and are positioned to shower the fish with warm water as the fish slide from the fish inlet to the fish outlet.

1 - 36 . (canceled) 
     
     
         37 . A fish delousing installation, the fish delousing installation comprising:
 a fish slide for fish to slide down, the fish slide having a fish inlet, a fish outlet, and a slide length defined therebetween, the fish slide having a negative slope along the entirety of the slide length;   a plurality of shower nozzles positioned to shower the fish with warm water as the fish slide from the fish inlet to the fish outlet;   a seawater separator upstream of the fish inlet for separating sea water from the fish prior to the fish entering the fish slide;   a used warm water separator downstream of the fish outlet for separating used warm water from the fish exiting the fish slide; and   a recycle line downstream of the used warm water separator for feeding used warm water back towards the shower nozzles.   
     
     
         38 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , further comprising a warm water source in communication with the plurality of shower nozzles. 
     
     
         39 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , further comprising a sea lice separator downstream of the used warm water separator for removing sea lice from the used warm water. 
     
     
         40 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , wherein the fish slide has a negative slope along the entirety of the slide length. 
     
     
         41 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , wherein the slide is tubular. 
     
     
         42 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , wherein: the shower nozzles are positioned at a plurality of spaced apart positions along the slide length, and the shower nozzles span a majority of the slide length. 
     
     
         43 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , wherein the fish slide has a width transverse to the slide length, and the shower nozzles are positioned at a plurality of spaced apart positions along the width. 
     
     
         44 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 37 , wherein the fish slide comprises at least one pipe through which the fish slide, and wherein the at least one pipe comprises at least one inner pipe through which the fish slide, and at least one outer pipe concentric with the inner pipe and defining an annular conduit between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, and wherein the shower nozzles each comprise an aperture through a wall thickness of the inner pipe. 
     
     
         45 . A fish delousing installation, the fish delousing installation comprising:
 a fish slide for fish to slide down, the fish slide having a fish inlet, a fish outlet, and a slide length defined therebetween;   a plurality of shower nozzles positioned to shower the fish with warm water as the fish slide from the fish inlet to the fish outlet;   a seawater separator upstream of the fish inlet for separating sea water from the fish prior to the fish entering the fish slide;   a used warm water separator downstream of the fish outlet for separating used warm water from the fish exiting the fish slide; and   a sea lice separator downstream of the used warm water separator for removing sea lice from the used warm water.   
     
     
         46 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , further comprising a warm water source in communication with the plurality of shower nozzles. 
     
     
         47 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , wherein the fish slide has a negative slope along the entirety of the slide length. 
     
     
         48 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , wherein the slide is tubular. 
     
     
         49 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , wherein: the shower nozzles are positioned at a plurality of spaced apart positions along the slide length, and the shower nozzles span a majority of the slide length. 
     
     
         50 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , wherein the fish slide has a width transverse to the slide length, and the shower nozzles are positioned at a plurality of spaced apart positions along the width. 
     
     
         51 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 45 , wherein the fish slide comprises at least one pipe through which the fish slide, and wherein the at least one pipe comprises at least one inner pipe through which the fish slide, and at least one outer pipe concentric with the inner pipe and defining an annular conduit between the inner pipe and the outer pipe, and wherein the shower nozzles each comprise an aperture through a wall thickness of the inner pipe. 
     
     
         52 . A fish delousing installation, the fish delousing installation comprising:
 a fish slide for fish to slide down, the fish slide having a fish inlet, a fish outlet, and a slide length defined therebetween;   a plurality of shower nozzles positioned to shower the fish with warm water as the fish slide from the fish inlet to the fish outlet;   a seawater separator upstream of the fish inlet for separating sea water from the fish prior to the fish entering the fish slide;   a sea lice separator downstream of the fish outlet; and   a recycle line downstream of the sea lice separator for feeding warm water back towards the shower nozzles.   
     
     
         53 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 52 , further comprising a warm water source in communication with the plurality of shower nozzles. 
     
     
         54 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 52 , wherein the fish slide has a negative slope along the entirety of the slide length. 
     
     
         55 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 52 , wherein the slide is tubular. 
     
     
         56 . The fish delousing installation of  claim 52 , wherein: the shower nozzles are positioned at a plurality of spaced apart positions along the slide length, and the shower nozzles span a majority of the slide length.