Selective breeding
breakthrough for New Zealand mussels (19/6/02)
http://freespace.virgin.net/stuart.banks/
MAJOR implications for the future development
and expansion of New Zealand's greenshell mussel industry, both domestically
and internationally, are contained in a five year, NZ$5 million research and
development project funded by the Foundation for Research, Science and
Technology. The work was carried out by Cawthron scientists at the Glenhaven
Aquaculture Centre - a joint venture involving the Cawthron Institute in
Nelson and local landowners and dairy farmers, the Dixon family.
The chief executive of the Cawthron Institute, Graeme Robertson, says the
research team has developed very cost effective techniques for the
production of seed mussels, known as spat, in the hatchery environment. This
means it is easy to scale up production. He says a long term selective
breeding programme is under way, to improve the quality and quantity of the
shellfish produced.
In another important new breakthrough, a team of scientists from Cawthron
and AgResearch have developed a means of storing, indefinitely, large
quantities of sperm from bivalve shellfish. They have recently succeeded in
doing the same for bivalve eggs, which they believe to be a world first.
These tools will be a great help to the selective breeding programme.
Graeme Robertson says in time the new 'domesticated' mussels will be
different to the present 'wild' mussels that are being farmed and that the
industry will no longer be dependent on the wild mussels as the basis for
commercial operations. He says with the selective breeding programme, the
'domestic' mussels will grow faster and have a more uniform size and
quality. The range of products from the industry will increase and diversify
into new markets such as health, biologicals and condiments. These advances
he says will enhance the long term profitability and viability of the
industry.
According to Graeme Robertson, the new developments at Nelson are of
international significance and the knowledge and techniques could be applied
elsewhere and to other species. He says the technology platform in shellfish
and hatchery management is an ideal launching pad for further research,
including other shellfish species, fin fish and seaweeds.
(From Aquaculture Info List, e-mail: dave.conley@sympatico.ca)