FisheriesGenetic biotechnologies in fisheries and aquaculture Biotechnology in fisheries and aquaculture represents a range of technologies that present opportunities to increase growth rate in farmed species, to improve nutrition of aquafeeds, to improve fish health, to help restore and protect environments, to extend the range of aquatic species and to improve management and conservation of wild stocks. Some biotechnologies are simple with a long history of application, e.g. fertilization of ponds to increase feed availability, while others are more advanced and take advantage of increased knowledge of molecular biology and genetics, e.g. genetic engineering and DNA disease diagnosis. Genetic biotechnologies in aquaculture focus primarily on increasing growth rate, but also address increased disease resistance and increased environmental tolerance and include simple techniques, e.g. hybridization, to the transfer of specific genes between species (GMOs). The improvement in knowledge of breeding requirements and the ability to artificially induce breeding through the administering of natural or synthetic hormones and/or environmental manipulations (for example, changing photoperiod or water temperature can induce some fish to spawn) has been a key factor that has facilitated the application of more advanced biotechnologies: selective breeding, and the maintenance of other stocks genetically improved by chromosome manipulation, line crossing, or sex reversal all depend on controlled breeding of the farmed species. These improvements in reproductive technologies have also assisted aquaculturists greatly in their efforts to domesticate aquatic species. In addition, by making it possible to remove the natural constraints and timing of breeding, farmers are able to mate many more species at the times that are most beneficial, and thus help to ensure a steady and consistent supply of fish to the market. Molecular genetic techniques are also being used in fish health management to create vaccines and to provide extremely sensitive DNA probes for disease diagnosis. In fishery management, gene and genotype frequency data can provide information on, inter alia, species identification, population stock structure, hybridisation and gene flow. These genetic data can provide information on key aspects of fishery management such as, i) an identification of the resource, ii) the breeding or stock structure of the resource, iii) an estimate of the size of the resource, and iv) the identification of key habitat that the resource requires. Genetic biotechnologies can be used in conservation programmes, i) to reduce the impacts of farmed fish on wild populations, e.g. by making farmed fish sterile, ii) to identify and manage endangered species, and iii) to manage genetic resources of captive populations in aquaria or in species recovery programmes, e.g. to avoid inbreeding and loss of genetic diversity. A key consideration in transferring genetic technologies to the aquaculture sector is that they should be applied in an environmentally sound manner with due protection of native aquatic diversity. In addition, the social impact of genetic technology transfer should be considered in how it affects the autonomy and economy of rural populations. Relevant Documents:
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Background Document to Conference 4 of the FAO Biotechnology Forum, entitled 
