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Prosjektnummer

900254

Prosjektinformasjon

Prosjektnummer: 900254
Status: Avsluttet
Startdato: 01.01.2009
Sluttdato: 30.06.2012

Preventive Health Measure by Optimizing Swimming Exercise to Counteract Lifestyle Diseases of Atlantic Salmon (FitnessFish)

Hovedkonklusjonen fra FitnessFish er at bevist bruk at vannhastighet som stimulerer trening vil ha en signifikant effekt på smoltens robusthet og sykdomsmotstand. Spesielt viktig er forbedringen i sykdomsmotstand og økt hjertekapasitet. Smolt med økt kardiovaskulær kapasitet vil derfor trolig kunne håndtere transport, lusebehandling og sykdomsutbrudd mye bedre enn utrent fisk. I og med at dette er eksperimentelle studier vil det være et behov for å tilpasse kunnskapen til kommersielle forhold og være påpasselig med å unngå strømningsforhold som gir for intensiv trening. Det vil også være nødvendig med nye studier som fokuserer på optimalisering av trening i perioden fra start-fôring til ca 40–50gr som er den perioden hvor flest oppdrettere har mulighet til å øke vannhastigheten i karene sine.

FitnessFish har vært et samarbeidsprosjekt mellom Nofima, NIVA, NTNU, Universitetet i Britisk Columbia og Universitetet i Brest. Prosjektet var finansiert av Forskningsrådet og FHF. I tillegg har nye forsøk i resirkulert vann vært finansiert av NFR via det strategiske instituttprogrammet “Ytelse og velferd hos fisk i resirkulerte akvakultur systemer”.
 
Resultatene er oppsummert i en artikkel i Norsk Fiskeoppdrett nr 5-2012, og deler av resultatene er også publisert i en vitenskapelig artikkel i Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A 160 (2011) 278–290.
Background
Farmed salmon live on extreme energy-rich diets and are raised in an environment with little opportunity for physical challenges. Over the last five years, the salmon farming industry has been facing ~20% mortality after sea transfer. A large percentage of these losses can be attributable to diseases affecting the heart, e.g. cardiomyopathy syndrome and abnormal hearts.
Objectives
To introduce preventive health measures in aquaculture by optimizing swimming exercise to counteract life-style diseases of Atlantic salmon.
Expected project impact
The project may have significant economical relevance for the industry. In 2005, ~20.4 million salmon died during grow-out in Norwegian sea farms (Directorate of Fisheries). If these fish had lived to slaughter size (4 kg) and their price set at 25 NOK/kg, the theoretical sales value would be 2 billion NOKs. Thus, even if training only achieves half of this theoretical benefit a sales value of 1 billion NOKs becomes available. The project's aim of improving the general health of the smolt before sea transfer to reduce losses is therefore both highly relevant and of great interest to the industry.
Project design and implementation
The proposed project is based on the fact that exercise training of fish has been shown to improve a range of parameters, e.g. growth, cardiac capacity and disease resistance. Hence, our specific aim is to identify the training protocol that optimizes the positive effects of exercise.
 
The optimization work will be founded on established knowledge from mammals and fish, namely high intensity aerobic interval training is more effective than low intensive exercise. A major task of the project will be to test different training protocols during t he freshwater stage using specially designed fish tanks that allows flexible training intensities of salmon.
 
Training effects will be evaluated by a range of established methods:
a) cardiac performance and ability to face environmental constraints (physio logical challenge tests, respirometry, histology, and analyses of hormones, blood parameters, oxidative products and gene expression);
b) disease resistance (challenge tests and gene expression);
c) growth responses (appetite, FCR and nutrient utilization ).
 
The project team, which is composed of scientists and institutes that have relevant and complementary knowledge, will ensure a solid scientific foundation and the desire to accomplish the proposed project tasks.
En tar sikte på publiseringer i bransjetidsskrift samt i vitenskapelig tidsskrift med fagfellevurdering.
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