May 15, 2013 — While there are objections worldwide to genetically modified fish, salmon reared to perform better or to have particular characteristics through genetic selection breeding programs are the future of the industry, according to Scottish experts Landcatch.
The company, which produces up to 40 million salmon ova and 4.5 million smolts per year, is owned by Hendrix Genetics, a world leading multi species breeding company. Hendrix has brought the expertise and technology used in the poultry, pig and turkey industry to the salmon rearing business, with impressive results.
Fish can already be selected for particular characteristics including growth, survival, Omega-3 levels and fillet color, and will soon be bred for increased resistance to disease, using genomic selection tools.
The work uses Single Nucleotide Polymorphism (SNP) chips, which are glass slides used to analyze variations in DNA sequences, which act as biological markers and help scientists locate a range of genes associated with disease resistance. Landcatch is planning to market the first eggs — developed from its disease resistance research — by 2014.
Already, the company’s latest development, reduced susceptibility to sea lice infestation, is a particularly exciting one for its customers and means they can look forward to healthier fish and lower mortalities in future. The fish farming industry in Scotland is worth around GBP 500 million (USD 762 million, EUR 592 million) and spends large sums of money fighting the effects of sea lice infestation and fatal diseases such as IPN (infectious pancreatic necrosis) and AGD (amoebic gill disease).
Read the full story at Seafood Source