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General Manager of Andromeda Group, Panos Kolios from Greece, who farm sea bass and sea bream in the Mediterranean, sees the potential in the genes:
“The bass and bream breeding programs are very important for us, because are the tools to improve the efficiency and the performance of the sector. The tree pillars of breeding programs should be: to produce more robust fish resisted to diseases, promote growth and utilize the feed in more efficiently way.”
“For us these are the key factors in order to reduced costs and to increase the profitability.. It also means that we can offer better and cheaper products to our customers. The breeding programs will drive us to the future." says Panos.
Andromeda Group is an industry partner in the EU research project FISHBOOST that aims at improving the efficiency and profitability of European aquaculture. FISHBOOST involves 14 partners in research, technology and development, eleven industry partners, and the European aquaculture organization FEAP. The budget for reaching this goal is eight million euros and the time span is 2014-2019.
The emphasis is put on preventing fish disease and improving production efficiency. Within the five year project, more than twenty trials are conducted to generate knowledge and tools that breeding companies can use to improve their breeding programs.
“The bass and bream breeding programs are very important for us, because are the tools to improve the efficiency and the performance of the sector. The tree pillars of breeding programs should be: to produce more robust fish resisted to diseases, promote growth and utilize the feed in more efficiently way.”
“For us these are the key factors in order to reduced costs and to increase the profitability.. It also means that we can offer better and cheaper products to our customers. The breeding programs will drive us to the future." says Panos.
Andromeda Group is an industry partner in the EU research project FISHBOOST that aims at improving the efficiency and profitability of European aquaculture. FISHBOOST involves 14 partners in research, technology and development, eleven industry partners, and the European aquaculture organization FEAP. The budget for reaching this goal is eight million euros and the time span is 2014-2019.
The emphasis is put on preventing fish disease and improving production efficiency. Within the five year project, more than twenty trials are conducted to generate knowledge and tools that breeding companies can use to improve their breeding programs.
FISHBOOST Researchers 'In the Spotlight'
Robbert Blonk - IMARES Dr. Ir. Robbert Blonk - Researcher at IMARES, part of Wageningen UR, the Netherlands 'Exciting to develop a method that will improve aquaculture breeding in practice!' |
Adrián Millán - Geneaqua Adrián Millán Pérez D.V.M., Ph.D. - manager at Geneaqua, Spain 'It is fascinating to participate in the development of new techniques and methodologies to set the foundation for the future of breeding in aquaculture!' |
Kostas Tzokas - Andromeda Kostas Tzokas - Biologist and Broodstock & Selection Program Manager at Andromeda, Greece 'It is fascinating to work with people that are on a higher level of expertise in genetics in aquaculture and to participate in unique and prototype experiments for Mediterranean species.' |
Wendy Rauw - INIA Dr. Wendy Rauw, Researcher at Departamento de Mejora Genética Animal, Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agraria y Alimentaria (INIA), Madrid, Spain 'Today, only a small part of the global aquaculture production is based on genetically improved stocks. In our research we expect to develop a method to record between-family variation in feed efficiency in fish that can be used to genetically improve feed efficiency in fish species. This may improve both the economic efficiency of production and sustainability of aquaculture.' |
Clémence Fraslin – PhD student, SYSAAF - INRA, France. Clémence Fraslin – PhD student, SYSAAF - INRA, France. 'Working with scientists who are experts in genetics and fish breeding and who come from all over Europe is fascinating. We share our work and learn from each other. With fish breeders from SMEs or large companies among the partners, the work done in the FISHBOOST project has a direct impact on fish industry and I really feel that I am part of the European aquaculture development and its improvement in sustainability.' Håvard Bakke – Salmobreed Business Development Manager - Salmobreed & representative of the aquaculture industry in the operational board of FISHBOOST "I specially enjoy the scientific discussions we have at the board meetings. The results are relevant on several levels: Some of the work is ground breaking and will have general impact, as a base for more applied research. Some of the work goes directly towards solving important issue for the industry." Pierrick Haffray - SYSAAF
Genetic consultant "Major results achieved by FISHBOOST with our participation were the estimation of the resistance to the diseases VNN and pasteurellosis. We know now that progress can be achieved on these traits and will not impair gain on other production traits for pasteurellosis but may decrease genetic gain on growth when selecting for resistance to VNN." |