At Aqua-Partner ApS, we recognize that strategic broodstock management is the foundation of any successful aquaculture operation.

Any disruptions in egg supply would jeopardize the entire production process as it would significantly impact the timely creation of batches, which is essential for the optimal utilization of the production facility / capacity. Consequently, this directly affects the profits from the operation and can have long-term implications.

Therefore, Brood stock management is a key strategic element for any serious operator within aquaculture.

By selective breeding for a specific aquaculture system, selected characteristics of a fish species can quickly be developed towards desired direction. For instance, growth rate may in 3 generations be increased by up to 50%. Which obviously may have a significant impact on the overall economy, and the competitive strength of the company.

The efficiency of selective breeding in fish stems from the high number of offspring produced by a single individual. Within a batch, there exists a certain variation, from which the few fish with the desired characteristics can be selected.

Furthermore, with today’s technology, DNA tracking can be applied, enabling not only the avoidance of inbreeding but also the ability to house fish from multiple batches within the same fish tank while still retaining full knowledge of the parental history of each individual fish.

Investing in genetic breeding for the long term is now far less costly than before, and therefore should be key focus within any aquaculture operation.

In Aqua-Partners ApS, we have designed and delivered brood stock systems for several species, in which temperature, water chemistry and light regime can be controlled with high precision. Therefore, securing a predicted spawning without use of hormones. – Even if hormone use to induce spawning is a common practice in the industry, such methods often compromise egg quality.

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Yellowtail Kingfish broodstock installation designed/start up by Aqua-Partners ApS. Producing year-round supply of eggs from 6 months post installation. 

To ensure year-round spawning, typically, four separate broodstock systems will be required. However, the design and layout will differ between species. For example, kingfish broodstock can be managed to spawn weekly for three months or more, while for steelhead, after spawning/stripping, eggs can be maintained at different temperature regimes during egg development up to hatching. This way, four groups of fish will still be able to supply a monthly delivery of eggs. 

The RAS broodstock systems designed by Aqua-Partners ApS are obviously designed to provide optimal environmental conditions for the broodstock fish, ensuring that they can always stay healthy and comfortable.

But above all it is important to take into account the biology of the individual fish species, and to understand the triggers which initiate the gonad development and the spawning.

Therefore, we equally focus on both the technology and the biology of the selected species. The design of the broodstock installations will be customized for the selected fish species, as will the manipulation program, which will be established to secure the predictable spawning of the fish.

 Aqua-Partner ApS - Plan layout - standard brood stock system designed for Kingfish

Aqua-Partner ApS - Plan layout - standard brood stock system designed for Steelhead Salmon