Triploid Atlantic salmon: current status and future prospects

No abstracts are to be cited without prior reference to the author.

The concept of using induced triploidy as a means of providing sterile fish for aquaculture and fisheries management is not new, having been first suggested over 30 years ago. Triploid Atlantic salmon were first produced almost 25 years ago, and they have been evaluated in the European, North American and Australian aquaculture industries. Through this work it has been demonstrated that it is easy to mass produce triploid salmon and that, when combined with simple and proven methods for producing all-female populations, triploidy is highly effective at suppressing gonadal development in Atlantic salmon. However, aside from Tasmania, there is currently no use of triploid Atlantic salmon in commercial aquaculture. This paper will review the development of triploidy as a management tool and outline some of the limitations of triploid performance that have influenced the decisions of industry not to adopt this technology. Finally, suggestions will be made for how to approach genetic and husbandry improvements to enhance the potential of triploid Atlantic salmon in commercial culture