Tromso
The programme is supported by the government as ‘a good investment for the future’
into improving growth, 20% of their ef- fort is focused on reducing susceptibility to disease.
The centre started out with a base population of wide genetic variability, using fi sh from along the Norwegian coastline and north-east Arctic cod collected between 2003 and 2005. All fi sh were tagged with external tags and sexed using ultrasound.
Atle Mortensen, director of the centre, explained that its main goal is to per- form selective breeding. Its activities are supported by the Norwegian Minstry of Fisheries and Coastal Affairs as ‘a good investment for the future’.
The centre produces juveniles in family groups using both family and individual selection. This has meant that they have been able to develop a new pedigree of fi sh for genetic work and they have been able to supply these fi sh for several re- search projects as well as for commercial fi sh farms.
Dr Mortensen said: ‘We also have a triploid cod research programme with the aim of producing late maturing fi sh. This is a unique programme and so far
Fish Farmer September/October 2011 16
we have developed 40 families of triploid cod. We are now looking at the genet- ics of triploid cod. The triploids have performed well so far, but it is at an early stage. Our next aim is to carry out disease challenge tests on the triploid stocks.’
Optimism
Dr Mortensen was keen to stress that, although the cod industry has suffered serious set-backs in recent years, he sees light at the end of the tunnel. He said: ‘Cod farming businesses failed due to a combination of factors. They were all new businesses in the establish- ment phase and had no reserves when they were hit by the fi nancial crisis. This meant that they ended up harvesting fi sh at very small sizes and getting low prices, maybe only NOK 25/kg for 1-2kg fi sh, compared to the NOK 40/kg they would have recieved for 4kg fi sh. But economists looking at the industry didn’t understand this.’
Mortensen continued: ‘Unfortunately the result is a bad reputation for cod farming. Another factor was that the
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