BIOTECHNOLOGY
research underway at
the Department of
. Fisheries and Oceans,
Fisheries Research
Branch laboratory in
West Vancouver, could
make.a huge.impact on
the budding salmon
farming industry in
British Columbia.

Scientists at the Fisheries
Research Branch laboratory
in West Vancouver, headed
by Dr. Ed Donaldson, have
injected juvenile coho salm-
on with genetically:
engineered recombinant
chicken and bovine
Somatotropins (a pituitary
growth hormone). The labo-
ratury is run by the Depart-.
ment of Fisheries and
Oceans. . :

At the end of a six-week
experiment, body weight of .-
the injected salmon ‘increas-'
ed by 50 per cent while body
length increased by. 20 per
cent. Even small doses of the
somatotropins resulted. in.:..
noticeable increases: 20 per
cent in. weight, 10 per cent in
growth. The. experiment is
the . first: time — genetically
engineered - somatotropins.’
’ have been shown to acceler-
‘ate growth i in fish.

LENGTHY CYCLE

The lengthy life cycle of
Pacific salmon nas been one
of the major challenges to
“the culture of these. species.

25 - Sunday, August 18, 1985 - fy

growth rates would eliminate
a substantial hurdle for the
saimon farming industry.

Several other methods ex-
ist for developing faster
growth rates but the most
obvious, a process of selec-
tive breeding, may require
several generations, each at
least three years. Develop-
ment of scientifically for-
mulated, conversion efficient
diets is another technique.

In addition to long-term
Fisheries research branch
programs relating to diet and
selective breeding, scientists
at the West Vancouver Lab-
oratory ha‘e. been ex:
perimenting with
somatrotrepins on fish
growth rates and feed con-
version efficiency since 1974,

BIG BENEFIT

Experiments with feed
conversion increased effi-
ciency by approximately one
third, a significant benefit
considering that feed costs in
a typical salmon farming

- operation represent over 50

per cent of the ‘total
operating cost.

Application of the

hore News

somatotropin injection tech-
nique could benefit two sec-
tors of salmon ‘culture. It
would be used jo increase
the growth rate of juvenile
salmonids reared in hat- .
cheries, resulting in larger
fish with increased chances
of survival upon release into
the ocean. Pink, chum, and
chinook salmon are usually
not as large as they should
be at the desired date of
release in the spring.

More importantly,
however, the administration
of somatrotropins could
reduce the cost of salmonid
mariculture by increasing
feed conversion and reduc-
ing the ,voduction time to |
market size or alternatively,
by permitting the economic
production of Jarge fish,
which command a_= higher
value per unit weight in the
market place. :

For further information
contact Dr. E.M. Donaldson
at the | West Vancouver
Laboratory, Fisheries
Research Branch, Depart-

znt of Fisheries & Oceans,

- 4160 Marine Drive, West:

Vancouver, B.C., Y7V_ 1N6
or telephone 926-4358." -

“BLIND FAITH.

"Salmon take approximately - NEWS photo jan Smith
three years to reach market A YOUNG SALMON, has been put ‘to sleep 50 Fisheries’ Dr. Ted Down can inject it with a
. size. A reduction in this cy- growth hormone. Research at the West Vancouver laboratory is trying to see how to make

cle as a result of. increased salmon grow bigger.

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