Genetic improvements to 6 fish stocks through selective breeding

Editor/ Mohamed Shihab

A major European-wide research project is making strong inroads into developing new breeding programmes to improve the stock of six important aquaculture species. FISHBOOST, now in its second year, is developing selective breeding programmes aimed at increasing productivity and profitability of aquaculture, while reducing the impact on the environment.The five year research project, funded by the European Commission has drawn together research organisations, both large and small and medium sized aquaculture companies and NGOs to develop both high tech and low tech approaches to improve aquaculture breeding. The total cost of the project is €7,955,911 with €6 million coming from the EU.The research project is looking specifically at Atlantic salmon, common carp, European sea bass, gilt head sea bream, rainbow trout and turbot.

The experiments have been conducted in co-operation with the local aquaculture companies and breeding programmes:

-In Greece, “Andromeda S.A.” works on Gilthead sea bream.

-In Czech Republic, “Klatovske Rybarstvi A.S.” works on the Common carp.

-In Finland, “MTT Agrifood Research Finland” works on rainbow trout.

-In Spain, “Cluster de la Acuicultura de Galicia” works on turbot.

-In France, “Syndicat des Sélectionneurs Avicoles et Aquacoles Français”, “Ferme Marine du Douhet SAS”, and “Les Poissons du Soleil” work on Gilthead sea bream and European sea bass.

-The molecular laboratory analysis for family assignment is conducted by “Labogena - Laboratoire D'Analyses Genetiques pour Les Especes Animales” in France.