Tilapia genetic management at the farming level   by Renata Barroso

BACKGROUND - REGION

BACKGROUND HOW DID TILAPIA REACH THE REGION? SEVERAL AND SEQUENCIAL STOCKING OF BIG RESERVOIRS SINCE THE 50’S 5.5 million ha of flooded areas – mainly water plant reservoirs

50’s 70’s 1996 2000’s Tilapia rendalli from Congo Chitralada strain (domesticated, cold resistance, better yield) Improvment programs Tilapia rendalli from Congo Goal: stocking reservoirs 2002 – (GIFT) Supreme 2005 / 2008- GIFT from Malasia 2013 – (GIFT) Spring 2015 – GIFT Aquamerica 50’s 70’s 1996 2000’s GIFT O. angolensis from África Red Stirling Saint Peter O. niloticus e O. mossambicus Bouake - from Ivory Cost

LAST 10 YEARS - BIG EXPANSION 47% Brazilian aquaculture grow 14 to 20% yearly Structured chain Internal consumption (negative trade balance of fish in more than 168,119 t and US$ 605 million (2015)) ≈ US$ 330 million (farm price – 10-20% profitability) ≈ 450 million seeds (US$17 million) ≈ 650.000 ton of feed (US$1,200 billion) ≈ 10.000 employment (just production) + inclusion of smallscale farmers By Brazilian fisheries law up to 1% of the total area could be utilized for aquaculture production which corresponds to 55,000 ha (IN nº 7, april 28, 2005).

Technical aspects of tilapia farming in Brazil Starting size = 10 a 40 g  Comercial size = 750 gr to 1,2 kg Harvest = 6 to 8 month 32% ptn feed = US$ 0,43/kg to US$ 0,48/kg Fries (0,2 to 1 g ) = US$ 25 to US$ 30/ thousand Fingerling (10 to 40 g) = US$ 110 to US$130 / thousand > 70% of the total cost 7-10% of the total cost US$ 0.92/kg a US$ 1/ kg US$ 0.73 to US$ 0.86/ kg 40 e 120 kg/m3 4 to 30 kg/m2

TILAPIA PERFORMANCE TODAY Mixed GIFT strain Chitralada strain Mixed BRAZILIAN MARKET DEMAND FILLET 750 to 850 gr Whole > 900 gr

SOME IMPROVEMNET PROGRAMS USING GIFT in BRAZIL Breeding values using linear mixed models broodstock evaluation Couple evaluation Rotational Breeding BLUP Microchip Molecular markers Control inbreeding Follow Pedigree

GENETIC IMPROVEMENT SECTOR DEMAND - Take into account regional necessity - precocity; - weather resistance; (cold or hot places) - Better fillet yield; - disease resistance; - higher performance; etc.

Genetic companies Hatcheries Middleman Fish farm GENETIC MANAGEMENT - HATCHERIES 1 Genetic companies 2 Hatcheries 3 Middleman Fish farm

Seasonality x market demand MAIN GENETIC MANAGEMENT - FARMERS Seasonality x market demand Attempting to supply the market, farmers accept different source of seeds; Seasonality in supply, short gap Winter  Easter

GENETIC MANAGEMENT - FARMERS Middleman or non professional hatcheries Risk of bad quality of seeds Farmers are not aware about the risks Farmers has difficulty to follow zootechnical gains of strains (25% profit margin) Many of them in the country

INDICATORS TO BE CONSIDERED WHEN CHOSING THE BEST STRAIN ADAPTABILITY TO THE GROWTH system or ENVIRONMENT LATE SPAWN GROWTH RATE FOOD CONVERSION FILLET YIELD DOMESICATION Organized Data control

Confining improved strains to few companies or few regions CURRENT STATUS Close to 90% of tilapia produced in Brazil use improved strain HOWEVER, most of hatcheries doesn’t use any technology to avoid inbreeding Few hatcheries apply genetic control, separate families, chip broodstock, follow pedigree, so on. Few skilled people working with fish genetic improvement  caught by big enterprises Confining improved strains to few companies or few regions

As a strategy to increase productivity in different regions of the country, sector must organize and manage seeds improvement and distribution. Genetic improvement program has no impact if improved strains do not reach productive sector

Conclusion STRATEGIC STEPS: Map demand and supply for fingerlings in particular geographic region; Map the genetic used in the country and local genetic demand; Identify technical level of the most representative hatcheries in these regions; Capacity building farmers to optimize farming improved strains. Learning with other’ success - Apply experiences of management of other agribusinesses.

Questions?? Thank you!! Renata Melon Barroso, PhD Embrapa Fisheries and Aquaculture / Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation  skype: cnpasa.renata Email: renata.barroso@embrapa.br Phone: +55 (63) 3229-7800 e 3229-7807  Mobile: +55 (63) 8464-8416 https://www.embrapa.br/pesca-e-aquicultura