Healthy fish, healthy sales

Norway-based PHARMAQ plans to supply vaccines to Latin American fish farmers.

The company last month opened offices in Costa Rica and Panama, which will be its regional headquarters.

Fish production could grow in Central America, thanks to an abundance of water in many areas, along with proximity to major markets, if growers could prevent infection of fish crops by streptococcus bacteria.

Latin America currently produces 400,000 metric tons per year of farmed fish, mainly tilapia, much of it for export to various markets, including Mexico, Brazil, Colombia and the United States.

PHARMAQ is a pharmaceutical company, specializing in aquaculture, with operations in Norway, the United Kingdom, Turkey, Vietnam and Chile.

The company’s vaccines are produced in Overhalla, Norway, while administration and research activities are based in Oslo.

PHARMAQ last March was acquired for E250 by Pemira, a London-based private investment fund.