Cod Farm Project Gets Go Ahead

Genome Atlantic received essential federal funding that gives the green light to their four-year, $5.8-million cod aquaculture genomics project.

"It's a great day for aquaculture in Atlantic Canada," says Dr. Steve Armstrong, President and CEO, Genome Atlantic.

The not-for-profit organization received $3 million from ACOA's Atlantic Innovation Fund to solve the aquaculture industry's challenge of early maturation in cod, which can account for significant financial losses due to increased production time and decreased product quality.

"This project builds on our world-recognized cod expertise to help bring the industry to a point where it can compete globally," says Armstrong.

Based on global demand for food protein, cod farming has the potential to become a $545-million industry in the Atlantic region.

"What makes this project different is our combined expertise," says Armstrong, explaining that the new C-ADAP3T project (Comparative Assessment of Diploid & Polyploid Physiology & Production Traits) will use genomics and selective breeding to develop sterile production fish to overcome the early maturation barrier.

Genome Atlantic led the development of this project, and will manage its overall progress. The research component will be conducted with the region's leading genomics and aquaculture researchers and resources from Fisheries and Oceans Canada's St. Andrews Biological Station, Memorial University's Ocean Sciences Centre, Cooke Aquaculture, the Huntsman Marine Science Centre, University of New Brunswick and University of Guelph.