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In salmonids, sexual maturation increases the susceptibility to diseases in salmonids and can lead to very high mortality rates. In farmed Arctic char, sexual maturation occurs prematurely at 2 years instead of 3 years in 65% of male or female animals. This early sexual maturation leads to a significant increased mortality of the order of 15-20% in Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) to 30-50% in brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis). Moreover, sexual maturity decreases growth performance at 3 years of age of about 50% in Arctic char and 30% in brook trout which cannot be recovered after a reconditioning period unlike rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

The project STAYIN'ALIVE aims at preventing mortalities in Arctic char by implementing new zootechnical practices that should significantly inhibit early sexual maturation at 2 years of age. We will test two rearing protocols that modify the photoperiod and the food intake of the animals before and during the decision period of sexual maturation onset.

The project STAYIN'ALIVE also aims to improve the care of maturing animals (especially breeding stock) by acquiring new knowledge on the impact of sexual maturation on the immune system. We will follow the evolution of some blood indicators of immune defenses in sexually immature, sexually mature, or reconditioned 2 year old animals two months after laying or stopping spermiation. We will also follow the evolution of the function of major organs involved in immunity (spleen, kidney, liver, gills) through the analysis of their transcriptome in different groups of animals. The presence of opportunistic pathogens will also be investigated in healthy and dying individuals at 2 years.

The applied expectations of the project are to improve the health of farmed Arctic char, to decrease the potential reservoirs of opportunistic pathogens in the circulating and discharge water, but also to improve the growth of animals beyond 2 years of age. Consequently, the project is in line with societal and professional expectations, which are to reduce the sanitary and environmental impacts of the fish farms while preserving the competitiveness of this aquaculture industry.

The project is based on a partnership between public research institutes and the fish farming industry:

The project STAYIN'ALIVE is coordinated by INRAE under the responsibility of Jean-Jacques Lareyre, Research Director at LPGP, and involves two other partners, ANSES (Morgane Danion, Scientific Project Manager) and the fish farm " Les fils de Charles Murgat " (Phlippe Hocdé, Production Manager).

The project STAYIN'ALIVE is a multidisciplinary project that associates physiologists specialized in reproduction or immunity, pathologists, and fish farmers who have a unique zootechnical expertise to raise several different species of salmonids in a single production site (INRAE, ANSES, et Pisciculture Murgat).

The structure of the project is presented below:

The project is funded by the European Fonds for Maritime Affairs and Fisheries" and the French national counterpart following the call “Innovation Aquaculture 2020 - measure 47".