Performance gains through genetics are an area of aquaculture innovation that is ripe for further exploitation. Aquaculture genetics programs that use family-based selection and work with pathogen-free broodstock of commonly cultured species like salmon, shrimp, and tilapia are generating outstanding results and the room for further benefits is considerable. Annual performance gains of 5-15% that are a direct result of a strong genetic selection program are very real and achievable, making it one of the most exciting and promising areas of technical innovation in today's rapidly advancing aquaculture industry.
The most common selection traits are fast growth, survival, and resistance to a specific type of disease. Other less common selection traits could be fillet yield or resistance to an environmental parameter like low water temperature.
With the recent commitment of Dr. Roger Doyle, a leading aquaculture genetics expert, AquaSol is now well positioned to deliver the best in aquaculture genetics and selection programs to our clients. Our team aquaculture experts can get your genetics program up and running smoothly and efficiently, using the latest methods and avoiding costly overruns and oversights that frequently impact companies trying to initiate technically challenging aquaculture genetics programs in-house.
Here is a general overview of the basic steps involved in our genetics breeding programs:
Careful selection of high potential juveniles from a wild or domesticated source;
Rearing of male and female broodstock to maturity under biosecure conditions;
Inducing maturation and spawning in captivity through the use of natural or artificial insemination or via use of hormone treatments;
Larval rearing of individual families as isolated units;
Tagging of select individuals within each family;
Implementation of environmental testing, field trials, and disease challenges of pooled families according to the goals of the genetic breeding program;
Selection of families with preferred traits and superior performance;
Development of the selected families to reproductive size and initiation of mass spawning for commercial use and further field trials.
Let AquaSol’s aquaculture consultants design and implement a biosecure Nucleus Breeding Center (NBC) that is custom-designed to the production goals of your fish or shrimp farming operation. As part of our comprehensive service, we will train your staff to insure continuous biosecurity and operational excellence of your brand new aquaculture genetics and selective breeding program.
