Investigating for an alternative egg. industry.

Transcription

1 Investigating for an alternative egg source for Nova Scotian rainbow trout industry. Isabelle Tremblay, Ph.D. R&D Coordinator

2 Background Rainbow trout farming = growth opportunity for NS aquaculture Challenges: water conditions around NS 1 egg source

3 Project Part of AANS Project: Monitoring, Mitigating and Reacting to Extreme Weather Events in Nova Scotia Marine Finfish Farms. Mission: Norway & Denmark (Sept 9 th 19 th 2017) Investigate for an alternative rainbow trout egg source for the Nova Scotian industry. Team: Donald Davis (Waycobah First Nation Trout Farm) Robin Stuart (Waycobah First Nation Trout Farm) Sherman D Entremont (Ocean Trout Farm) Roland Cusack (NSDFA) Isabelle Tremblay (AANS)

4 AquaGen is a breeding company which develops, produces and delivers genetic material (Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout) to the sea-farming industry around the world. Breeding program started in 1971 and was carried out in cooperation between commercial operators and research institutions in Norway. 1985: Company was a coop with fish farmers association and became a private company (AquaGen) in : 100% of AquaGen shares were bought by a German company and AquaGen is now a subsidiaries of EW Group GmbHv AquaGen Europe (Norway): 3 sea sites; 4 breeding centers/land sites Atlantic salmon & Rainbow trout New AquaGen in Scotland (Atlantic salmon egg production 2018/2019) AquaGen Chile: 1 sea site; 4-5 land sites Atlantic salmon, Rainbow trout & Coho

5 AquaGen Hemne (Breeding Center): Guide: Svein Hjeldnes one of AquaGen funders Marketing Manager North Norway Presentations: Company history Breeding Program (Sven Arild Krosvold: Breeding Director) Biosecurity (Torkjel Bruheim: Fish Health Manager) Visits: AquaGen Hemne Breeding Center facilities Team doing egg (Atlantic salmon) fertilization at the center

6 Breeding Program: Until 2015: relying only on family selection for specific desirable traits. Since 2015: Marker Assisted Selection which allows them to select directly the parents who possess specific genetic markers (QLT) that are highly associated with resistance to specific viral and bacterial diseases. Breeding program is based on approximately families selected through 16 generations. 12 traits are systematically measured in the trout Rainbow trout broodstock: Grows and remains in sea cages until it is spawned at the Breeding Center land based facilities

7 Qlt Product name IPN Flavo AquaGen Rainbow Ova QLT-innOva IPN x QLT-innOva FLAVO x QLT-innOva IPN/FLAVO x x Once the egg type is selected, it is possible to have one or more treatment of the brood fish/eggs: 1. AquaGen Rainbow GREEN STERILE: Pressure treatment used to sterilize (triploid)the fertilized eggs to make the fish sterile. Can be done on all type of eggs. 2. AquaGen Rainbow ALL FEMALE: Milt from verified transformed female brood fish instead of normal male brood fish are use. It results in all female offspring. 3. Virus testing: Individual testing of female and male brood fish at the time of stripping to make sure that they are free from viruses. Only brood fish free from viruses are then used for egg production.

8 Skretting (Stokmarkness) Rainbow trout nutrition and feeds Johnny Stikholmen: Sales Manager Karina Daae Nilssen: Fish health and nutrition Facilities tour

9 Nordlaks (Stokmarkness) Family run company since 1989: Produces 43,000 tons of fish 83% Atlantic salmon 17% rainbow trout AquaGen = egg supplier Nordlaks also keep some AquaGen broodstock at their site for egg production for their operations Nordlaks Havfarmen : new offshore large-scale net pen technology licences approved the week prior to our visit hope to have the 1 st Havfarmen out in 2020 Visit (Tommy Hansen; production manager): 2 sea sites Remote control feeding and monitoring center Slaughterhouse Processing facilities

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12 Troutex Owner (Jorgen Joker Trachsel): 4 th generation rainbow trout farmer Started company 12 years ago Facilities: Main office (Egtved) 4 land based sites (broodstock + eggs) 2011: 1 land based site Ireland (egg = summer) Presentation: Company Breeding Program Biosecurity Visit: Main office Broodstock site: virtual visit (biosecurity protocols)

13 Breeding program: Family selection for specific desirable traits 2004: Genetic expert set up line breeding facility with quantitative goals 200 families (spring) & 200 families (fall) Broodstock sites (raceways & ponds): Broodstock kept Eggs spawn on site Rainbow trout product range: Ordinary: Fast growing fish suitable for production of portion size trout. Become mature at approximately 1000 g. Late Mature: Fast growing rainbow trout bred to mature at a size between 1.5 to 2.0 kg at around 4 yr. Extra late mature: Rainbow trout bred to mature at a size between 2.0 to 3.5 kg at around 5 yr. Triploids: Percentage of triploidy of 96%. All females.

14 AquaSearch Company started in 2006: Torben Nielsen = fish health veterinarian Facilities: Main office + egg distribution center = Billund 7 broodstock sites in Denmark 2 partner farms: South Africa + Slovania 2 sales office in South America (Chile & Colombia) Visit: Main office + egg distribution center Tour Presentation company Breeding program Biosecurity 2 broodstock sites

15 Breeding program: Full-scale family based breeding program DNA associated family assignment to max. genetic improvement min. 100 families & max. 200 families Broodstock sites (raceways & ponds): Broodstock kept Eggs spawn on site Broodstock = repeat spawned 3-4 times Rainbow trout products: AquaSearch SALT (the one that would be best for Nova Scotia): Fast growth ( 2.5 kg), late maturation (>2-3 years) High salt water tolerance AquaSearch SALT/TRIP: Triploid trout with same advantages of the SALT strain trout AquaSearch ROE: This strain was developed for trout for roe production AquaSearch SALT/ORGANIC: This is the SALT strain trout respecting organic certification standards

16 Construction at broodstock sites = indoor raceways

17 NEWS 4 years funding program: Develop and implement genomic selection (QLT) into their breeding program AquaGen 51% of AquaSearch (August 2017): Exchange of experience, cooperation on R&D and use of joint technology platforms for breeding work. Oddd Magne Rodseth Torben Nielsen

18 Next step: Strategic plan for rainbow trout broodstock

19 Thanks!