IAMZ-CIHEAM, together with IATS_CSIC, has organised a specialised course for professionals on Advances in fish reproduction and their application to broodstock management from 19-23 February 2018, at Torre de la Sal, Castellón, Spain.
As in many other parts of the world, fish farming is expanding rapidly in the Mediterranean, where for certain species, particularly trout, sea bream, sea bass, tilapia, carp and mullet, aquaculture already makes up most of the production. The development of intensive culture is conditioned by the control of reproduction and broodstock management, thus facilitating permanent supply of constant and optimum quality fry, so as to permit large-scale culture up to market size.
The course revises the most recent advances in the study of regulation and control of reproductive fish processes and in the internal and external factors controlling and modulating reproduction. The environmental, hormonal, molecular, behavioural and stress factors, and genetic instruments currently available for an effective control of all these reproductive processes have been presented, including cryoconservation of gametes. The course includes several practical sessions coordinated by IATS-CSIC: i.e. broodstock handling, evaluation of the state of broodstock maturation and the quality of eggs and sperm, hormonal induction of spawning and of artificial fertilisation, and induction of triploidy and gynogenesis.
Thirty professionals from 12 countries are attending the course, representing industry (e.g. marine hatcheries), oceanography and fisheries institutes and firms, as well as research centres and universities. The course is delivered by 13 international experts from research centres, universities and companies from across Europe.
Several partners from MedAID participate in the course both as guest lecturers (i.e. C. Mylonas from HCMR, and C. Aguilera and N. Duncan from IRTA) and as participants (i.e. N. Abou Shanana from NIOF, from K. Gamsiz Univ of Ege, and K. Tsakonitui from Galaxidi).