Overview

British Columbia is an important region for both wild fisheries and aquaculture. The industry includes finfish and shellfish, wild fisheries (both commercial and sport) and aquaculture.  More than 80 species of aquatic plants and animals are harvested, primarily off the coast but also throughout BC’s extensive river systems.  

As economically important wild fish stocks decline, innovative solutions are urgently needed to sustain and expand wild fisheries and production from aquaculture. Genome BC’s research projects are tackling major challenges to the fisheries and aquaculture industries including sea lice, climate change and increased demand for food products. The projects aim to provide a better understanding of environmental changes on fish and other aquatic species, the effects of toxic algae and diseases, and the interaction of pathogens and parasites.

Applications and technologies from this research could include tools that forecast responses to environmental stressors and changes; means for monitoring viral, bacterial or fungal pathogens and parasites to improve prediction and treatment of disease outbreaks; and support for novel methods to control algae blooms around fish farms.

The challenges facing the fisheries and aquaculture industry in BC is not limited to the region. Genome BC is partnering with the Chilean Economic Development Agency, InnovaChile, Norwegian Research Council, Norwegian Fishery and Aquaculture Industry Research Fund to form the International Cooperation to Sequence the Atlantic Salmon Genome (Cooperation). The Cooperation will invest approximately US$6 million in phase one of a multi-phased project that will result in a completed genome sequence of the Atlantic salmon which can be used as a reference/guide sequence for the genomes of other related salmonids (e.g. Pacific salmon, rainbow trout and more distantly related fish such as smelt and pike). The Atlantic salmon genome sequence will be an important public resource that may lead to better management of wild fish stocks, breeding selection for commercially important traits, and elements of food quality, security and traceability.


Genome BC’s current research projects in fisheries and aquaculture:

• Development of a health assessment tool for marine mussels (MytOME)
• Genomics in Lice and Salmon (GiLS)
• Genomic Tools for Fisheries Management (FishManOmics)
• Sablefish Genomics

Click here to read about Genome BC’s completed research projects in fisheries and aquaculture.