An industry-scale mass marking technique for tracing farmed fish escapees

PloS One
Fletcher Warren-MyersStephen E Swearer

Abstract

Farmed fish escape and enter the environment with subsequent effects on wild populations. Reducing escapes requires the ability to trace individuals back to the point of escape, so that escape causes can be identified and technical standards improved. Here, we tested if stable isotope otolith fingerprint marks delivered during routine vaccination could be an accurate, feasible and cost effective marking method, suitable for industrial-scale application. We tested seven stable isotopes, (134)Ba, (135)Ba, (136)Ba, (137)Ba, (86)Sr, (87)Sr and (26)Mg, on farmed Atlantic salmon reared in freshwater, in experimental conditions designed to reflect commercial practice. Marking was 100% successful with individual Ba isotopes at concentrations as low as 0.001 µg. g-1 fish and for Sr isotopes at 1 µg. g-1 fish. Our results suggest that 63 unique fingerprint marks can be made at low cost using Ba (0.0002 - 0.02 $US per mark) and Sr (0.46 - 0.82 $US per mark) isotopes. Stable isotope fingerprinting during vaccination is feasible for commercial application if applied at a company level within the world's largest salmon producing nations. Introducing a mass marking scheme would enable tracing of escapees back to point of origin, which could d...Continue Reading

References

Sep 28, 2000·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·I A FlemingA Lamberg
Sep 11, 2002·Biometals : an International Journal on the Role of Metal Ions in Biology, Biochemistry, and Medicine·Michael E Maguire, James A Cowan
Apr 18, 2007·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·C Garcia de LeanizT P Quinn
Sep 6, 2007·Molecular Ecology·Jeffrey A Hutchings, Dylan J Fraser
Jun 19, 2013·Fish & Shellfish Immunology·Bjørn Erik BrudesethKjersti Gravningen

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