An anniversary, but first and foremost a methodological milestone:
25 years of SalmoBreed demonstrates what family‑based breeding can achieve when applied correctly and consistently.
The founders of SalmoBreed describe the establishment of the family-based breeding programme as a defining turning point. By gaining an overview of families and genetic relatedness, they were able to control inbreeding, make informed decisions on which crosses to avoid, and significantly improve genetic gain – opening up what they describe as “a whole new world.” Long-term progress without compromising genetic variation remains one of the core advantages of family-based breeding.
At the same time, family-based breeding has evolved and become more sophisticated over time from simple “systems and lists” into a more precise and data driven platform. Clearly defined families, systematic sampling and traceability of individuals back to family provide a stronger decision-making basis and enable selection for traits that aren’t always visible at the individual fish level. As early as 1999, the first families were established, and shortly thereafter the programme had around 300 families with tissue samples collected from every individual.
Selection methods have also evolved. The focus has shifted from choosing “big, good-looking fish” to supporting breeding decisions with parental data collected on siblings and calculating selection indices for broodstock candidates to allow concurrent selection of traits such as growth, disease resistance survival and quality traits. This index-based selection made it possible to place more weight on what actually reduces biological risk in production, such as robustness and delayed sexual maturation whilst maintaining traits that were less important, but where negative selection was undesirable.
25 years on, the impact is clear: SalmoBreed’s family-based breeding programme remains a cornerstone for sustainable genetic progress in aquaculture – delivering robust, high-performing salmon lines for the future.
