Genetisk forebygging av lusepåslag hos altantisk laks

Offentlig prosjektsammendrag

Salmon lice is the most resource-consuming problem for the aquaculture industry today. Besides the injuries lice inflict salmon, handling in connection with counting and treatment against lice has become a serious health risk to the salmon. Breeding for reduced lice count has been suggested as a tool to reduce lice problems in commercial farming, most effectively through genomic selection. Salmon lines selected for either high or low lice count was developed to investigate the potential for breeding against lice count. Breeding for higher/lower lice count was extremely effective when different salmon lines were mixed and tested in tanks. However, when the different lines were tested in separate tanks, no differences could be detected. So, differences in lice count in mixed tanks is likely because the lice have a preference for certain salmon (high-lice line), but when these are not present the lice will attach to any salmon present in the tank. However, the current testing environment may provide extremely easy access to salmon for the lice, and there are some indications for differences between high- and low-lice salmon in more realistic environments with constant water-flow. The aim of the project is to test whether selection for reduced lice count can provide effective group-protection against salmon lice in a flow-tank environment. If so, the second aim is to use the most appropriate method (standard tank test or flow-tank test) for breeding against sea lice infestation in Atlantic salmon.