Merck Animal Health, a division of Merck & Co. Inc., announced the completion of its acquisition of Vaki — a leader in fish farming and wild fish conservation monitoring equipment and real-time video monitoring technology to advance fish health and welfare — from Pentair.

The transaction further positions Merck Animal Health as a global leader in broadening its aquaculture portfolio by expanding into complementary fish farming and conservation areas to generate outcomes with precision farming and fish welfare solutions, which complement its existing portfolio of vaccines and pharmaceuticals, Merck said in its announcement.

Vaki will be a leading brand under the Biomark business within Merck Animal Health focused on a range of equipment, products and technology for fish counting and size estimation from freshwater to saltwater rearing while collecting data and analytics for each stage of fish production, the announcement said.

“Animal health intelligence and enhanced technology play an increasingly important role in animal health and care, providing access to real-time actionable data and insights to help, improve or enhance animal management and health outcomes,” Merck Animal Health president Rick DeLuca said. “We continue to execute upon our strategy to expand and add breadth to our portfolio and its technology. We are at the technological forefront of shaping the future of animal health through our commitment to leveraging our scientific capabilities and expertise through comprehensive solutions to manage the health and well-being of animals.”

Karl Frykman, Pentair executive vice president and chief operating officer, said, “We are proud of Vaki’s transformation over the past years. Vaki has significant potential to continue to spearhead development in the aquaculture industry, and we believe that Merck Animal Health is an ideal partner to support the next stage of its growth.”

Biomark specializes in electronic identification technology used in fisheries, wildlife and aquaculture research, including product sales, custom manufacturing, installation and extensive data management and analysis.

In April 2019, Merck Animal Health announced the completion of its acquisition of Antelliq Corp. and its brands -- Allflex Livestock Intelligence, Sure Petcare and Biomark -- as leaders in emerging digital technology with animal identification, animal monitoring and smart data management for livestock and companion animals. In March 2019, Merck Animal Health acquired Scan Aqua AS, a Norway-based fish health and fish welfare company focused on key aquaculture products.

For more than a century, Merck, a leading global biopharmaceutical company, has been inventing for life, bringing forward medicines and vaccines for many of the world’s most challenging diseases. Merck Animal Health is the global animal health business unit of Merck, with a presence in more than 50 countries and its products available in some 150 markets.