Exploring Innovative Fisheries Management: DNA-Based Species Composition Assessment

Marine Ingredients Denmark is excited to introduce the DNAMIX project, aimed at transforming the way we monitor and manage species composition within mixed catches from mixed pelagic fisheries. As a project partner, Marine Ingredients is at the forefront of advancing sustainable fishing practices while ensuring the preservation of marine biodiversity.

Project Objectives:

The DNAMIX project has a clear goal: to improve fisheries management by harnessing the potential of DNA-based methods to accurately assess species composition in mixed catches. In today’s diverse fishing landscape, where multiple species are often caught together, precision in identifying the proportions of different species is crucial for maintaining healthy fish stocks and adhering to regulation.

For many species of commercial fish, there are various stocks that mix in time and space outside the spawning season which poses potential management challenges. High-resolution genetic methods have proven to be an effective and accurate tool for understanding the biology of different populations and estimating the contribution of the various stock components in mixed fisheries.

The project will improve current knowledge gaps by establishing practical sampling methods that optimize the collection and processing of samples for DNA analysis and address technical sources of variation that could influence the reliability of DNA-based species identification. The project will also focus on understanding the biological factors that impact DNA-based species identification and contribute crucial insights to current knowledge gaps. Finally, the project will provide insights into the cost-effectiveness of these innovative methods compared to traditional species identification approaches.

As part of the DNAmix project, Marine Ingredients Denmark will be at the forefront of evaluating existing DNA-based techniques for species identification within mixed catches. Moreover, the project will explore the potential of emerging methods to further enhance accuracy and efficiency in species assessment. The project is being led by Professor Einar Nielsen at DTU aqua.

Key Partners:

DTU Aqua, National Institute of Aquatic Resources (Coordinator)

Denmark’s Pelagic Producers Organisation

Denmark’s Fishermen Producers Organisation

Marine Ingredients Denmark

Support and Funding: A Shared Commitment

Marine Ingredients Denmark is dedicated to sustainable practices, and our involvement in the DNAMIX project underscores this commitment. The project is supported by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Danish Fisheries Agency. Stay tuned for updates and insights from this exciting new project.

Read more about the project here.