All species throughout the world
Gjedrem has written several textbooks throughout his career, but he believes this latest publication, written with several co-authors, is his most important work to date. As the title "Selection and Breeding Programs in Aquaculture" suggests, the book is written in English for an international audience. It provides examples of most species of fish and shellfish that are significant for farming, but at the book's core lies information about selective breeding of salmon. Gjedrem feels that this approach gives the book both scientific depth and broadness of scope. "Without a doubt, salmon is the most widely studied species within genetics in the world. We have therefore used our extensive knowledge of salmon from selective breeding programmes for other species. We are now conducting selective breeding on other species such as cod, tilapia, carp and shrimp," explains Gjedrem.
Unique expertise
35 years ago, Gjedrem worked with selective breeding of sheep at the Agricultural University of Norway in Ås, now known as the Norwegian University of Life Sciences. He developed a special interest in fish, becoming a pioneer in selective breeding of salmon in the 1970s. His work in this field formed the foundation of AKVAFORSK, where he has worked ever since and served a term as managing director.
Little known, but useful tool
Gjedrem views selective breeding as a fantastic tool for increasing productivity and improving quality. "Only five to ten per cent of the world's aquacultural production is based on genetically improved stocks. Therefore, I think it is important to disseminate information on the opportunities offered by selective breeding," Gjedrem points out. The advantages of selective breeding are well-documented. After seven generations of salmon, the descendants of the salmon that Gjedrem started with grow twice as fast as their wild ancestors, all because of selective breeding. Salmon today also have better growth due to better feed and production conditions.
Book for industry and universities
The target group for this book is university students, biologists and others who work with selective breeding programmes in aquaculture. "We hope this book will also be useful for industry because it makes an excellent reference book as well as a textbook," explains Gjedrem.
The book is written by researchers at AKVAFORSK, Theo Meuwissen of the Norwegian University of Life Sciences (UMB) and John Woolliams of the Roslin Institute in Great Britain. The 364-page book is published by Springer and can be ordered from the publisher's website.
