Disease in salmon is caused by a number of factors in combination, including many micro-organisms, various environmental influences, aquaculture conditions and incorrect nourishment. If one is ignorant of the factors which contribute to the development of diseases and their relative importance, it is difficult either to prevent them or treat them.
In his PhD project, Nofima scientist Agnar Sivertsen has developed a new system for automatic inspection of cod fillets known as hyperspectral imaging. As well as detecting unwanted elements, the system can provide information about how fresh the fish is.
The aquaculture industry in Troms has been hit by annual outbreaks of ISA since 2007. Fish farmers hit by the disease can lose large quantities of fish, and a mortality rate of nearly 90 % has been registered in controlled challenge experiments on salmon.
It can be hard to distinguish between myths and facts in the debate concerning escaped farmed salmon and their genetic influence on wild salmon. Not everyone knows that wild and farmed Atlantic salmon in Norway have exactly the same genes. Scientists from Nofima have performed a critical review of current knowledge.
Are the fatty acids in certain microalgae suitable to replace fish oil in feed for salmonids? To find out, a Canadian Master student is doing experiments at the Aquaculture Protein Centre (APC) and Nofima’s research station at Sunndalsøra in Norway.
Scientists at Nofima have demonstrated that salt-cured fish and clipfish both develop less discolouration if the fish is chilled with the head on.
Traditional acidic sushi rice and fresh wasabi contribute to inhibiting the growth of bacteria in sushi, research carried out by the food research institute Nofima shows. This contributes to improved quality and shelf life of sushi dishes and is useful knowledge for consumers and producers alike.
Norwegian and Indian scientists have characterised gene sequences in rohu carp and shrimps. The result is extensive databases of the genetic material in these aquaculture species which will be used to find genes associated with disease resistance.
A doctoral thesis at Nofima documents that vaccinating against furunculosis principally hides the beneficial effects of the breeding programme against the same disease. However, selective breeding and vaccinating are both common strategies to prevent disease in salmon farming and, as such, the strategies should be coordinated.
Three new research reports show that we know too little about how farmed salmon affect wild salmon, and that it is not communicated clearly enough what we do actually know. Researchers from Nofima are critical about the lack of correlation between the public administration’s communication and the actual scientific basis.
“This can be a good documentation tool for us,” says the Production Manager of Nordlaks, Børge Holm, about a new iPhone app from Nofima.
A project has attempted to map all available scientific and evidence-based knowledge about infection between farmed and wild fish. In order to be able to get through the extensive amount of scientific material in the report, we asked one of the scientists behind the report, Lill-Heidi Johansen from Nofima, to tell us what we actually know?
The use of salmon meal in feed for king crabs is showing promising results. A trial under Nofima’s direction points to the fact that salmon meal can replace traditional fish meal/herring meal without having a negative effect on growth or quality.
Research carried out by Nofima points to the fact that fish which is bled, cooled and stored correctly can keep for at least 24 hours before being gutted and still maintain good quality.
Nofima has via a project for SalmoBreed contributed to identifying a genetic marker (QTL) that has a significant effect on the salmon’s resistance against pancreas disease.
The bioactive fatty acid TTA in fish feed can have an extremely positive effect on fish health. A fresh doctoral thesis points to the fact that it has a similar effect on the heart as exercise.
Tests on three year classes of farmed Atlantic salmon point to the same: there is great variation in how well various salmon families tackle salmon lice. A breeding company is now putting Nofima’s research results into practice and offering eggs that are stronger in encounters with lice.
An iPhone app from Nofima will assist fishmongers to evaluate how fresh a batch of fish is. The app was launched Wednesday at the European Seafood Exposition in Brussels.
Nofima and Tromsø Aquaculture Research Station have developed a new department for salmon lice research. This is an important contribution in the effort to combat the problems with salmon lice in the aquaculture industry.
Nofima’s bioprocessing pilot plant in Tromsø will be co-located with the new biotechnology facility being built in Kaldfjord near Tromsø and expanded from 150 m² to around 1000 m².
