Up to 224 families of Atlantic salmon with 300–500 eggs/family
are held in the incubation system. Approximately 150–250 fish per
family have been raised through parr size. Typically 30–40 smolts
per family are maintained in smolt tanks and on-grown through
their 2nd year of age (reaching approximately 1.0 kg/fish).
Additional smolts are cultured for stocking into industry collaborator
net pens for performance evaluations and additional
research studies. These 30–40 fish per family are reared to the end
of their 3rd year and a size of approximately 3.0 kg (possibly
smaller). Selection of 4-year-old fish for spawning is based on
calculation of estimated breeding values from net pen performance
evaluations. Breeding values are an estimate of the ability of
an individual to produce superior offspring and are based on
measurements of performance, using phenotypic values, taken on
the animal itself or its relatives (the fish stocked into net pens).
Although additional traits of economic importance should and will
be considered in the future, growth or carcass weight are
considered to be of primary importance and are traits with major
impact on economic return. Selection or culling of broodfish occurs
when fish are moved from 3-year-old broodstock tanks into the 4-
year broodstock system prior to the spawning season.