Implementation of commercial mode zoo-technical measures for maximizing rearing productivity of Arctic Charr

Description

The domestication characteristics of the Arctic Charr (Salvelinus alpinus), especially its disease resistance, its growth performances at low temperatures, its tolerance to crowding and its association with a high-end market, make it a species with high potential for aquaculture diversification in temperate and northern climates. The emergence of commercial production of this species on a national scale has long been stymied by differences in growth rates and variations in the supply of juveniles of good quality and in sufficient numbers. A 2001 project report makes several recommendations to remedy the situation and promote Canadian aquaculture diversification as a result. Among its recommendations is the development of selective breeding programs focused on improving growth performances and assessing the genetic variability within broodstock populations in major commercial strains. The primary objective of this project is to implement innovative zoo-technical measures in terms of the productivity of commercial Arctic Charr aquaculture operations. The recommended measures are aimed at reproduction (spawner pairing) and nursery (velocity conditions).

The specific objectives are:

1. to estimate the genetic variability of available Nauyuk strain in Quebec for possible use in a genetic improvement and a strain development program;
2. to identify, through assessing the level of relatedness between spawners, optimal pairings/crosses based on the work of Ditlecadet et al. in 2006 and 2009 and likely to result in growth gains; and
3. to apply, during the initial development stages, an experimental velocity to significantly improve growth.

Program Name

Aquaculture Collaborative Research and Development Program (ACRDP)

Year(s)

2010 - 2011

Ecoregion(s)

Atlantic: Gulf of St. Lawrence, St. Lawrence Estuary

Principal Investigator(s)

Nathalie Le François
Email: nle_francois@ville.montreal.qc.ca