Tag Breeding

Natural factors, institutional support and a big appetite for fish have all contributed to the growth of aquaculture in Ghana, where about 80 percent of all farmed fish is tilapia. 

Since 2001, Moana Technologies has worked toward providing domesticated, genetically improved and specific pathogen-free (SPF) black tiger shrimp to farmers in Asia. Based in Hawaii, USA, Moana built a breeding base on wild-caught broodstock from seven locations in Asia. 

A research partnership focused on Atlantic salmon selective breeding aims to improve growth and resistance to amoebic gill disease in Tasmanian salmon. 

Traditionally, Australian farmers relied on wild broodstock to source black tiger shrimp larvae, but substantial progress has been made in the domestication and selective breeding of Australian P. monodon. 

Although the application of selective breeding and genetics can yield dramatic results, the use of genetically improved stock varies widely among aquaculture sectors. Virtually all Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout producers use improved stock, while use of genetically improved tilapia varies widely. 

Collaborative work at Great Southern Waters has established a closed, genetically diverse breeding population of hybrid abalone. The breeding strategy is to produce and improve commercial stocks with the required hybrid traits by understanding the inheritance of those traits in the pure species and the hybrids. 

Biotechnology offers a potential avenue to overcoming the negative traits of seeds and enhancing feed performance to improve fish health. 

Although selection in fish is progressing rapidly, slower adaption to captivity over several generations can limit animal welfare problems. 

The farm operations and hatchery at Aquamarina de la Costa in Venezuela are based on broodstock and larvae of the species Litopenaeus vannamei.