Research & Development

While selective breeding for farmed salmon has surpassed eleven generations, cod breeding is now in its 6th and 7th generations. Cod breeding is carried out by both Nofima in Tromsø and Havlandet Marin Yngel in Florø.

Breeding is a highly effective tool for improving production traits in farmed fish and thereby the economics of aquaculture. The national breeding program for cod was therefore launched in 2002. The program is run by Nofima on behalf of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries, and aims to breed farmed cod with better growth traits than wild cod and higher resistance to major fish diseases.

The cod breeding program uses a combined family- and individual-based breeding approach. This is a highly efficient method that builds on the fact that fish produce a large number of offspring, making it possible to breed effectively for traits that are difficult or impossible to measure in broodstock candidates.

The cod genome (its complete genetic material) has now also been mapped. This opens the door to new and more efficient breeding methods, enabling the selection of the best broodstock by analysing their genetic material. Such methods are expected to significantly improve breeding for disease resistance, and may eliminate the need for costly and welfare-challenging infection trials.

Genetic progress in growth is currently just under 10% per generation. The next generation of selectively bred cod is expected to grow 35–40% faster than wild cod (source: Nofima, unpublished).

More information about the breeding program, and how it has changed the foundation for cod farming, can be found on Nofima’s website.

KIME Akva is involved in a number of research and development projects aimed at strengthening the knowledge base for production optimization, biosecurity, and risk management related to biodiversity. Although the biological foundation for cod farming is strong, there are still several areas we seek answers to that may create new opportunities for the industry.

Research with regulatory relevance and importance is conducted in collaboration with established and respected research institutions such as the Institute of Marine Research, Akvaplan-niva, and Nofima. The research is published and can be incorporated into the authorities’ work on regulating the industry. Some of the ongoing R&D projects include: