Troutlodge achieved a milestone in year-round availability of Bacterial Cold Water Disease (BCWD) resistant trout eggs for customers all over the world. This development is the culmination of over ten years of research and investment to combat this damaging disease.

Flavobacterium psychrophilum, the bacteria that causes Bacterial Cold Water Disease (BCWD), also known as rainbow trout fry syndrome, causes substantial losses in the industry. Fish that are infected not only show lowered survival rates but also show a decrease in appetite and growth, which negatively impacts economic performance.

Troutlodge, in collaboration with the USDA, initiated research over ten years ago to help solve this issue. Through the development of an SNP chip, the use of genomic selection and laboratory challenges, the company has focused on increased BCWD resistance in its breeding program, with outstanding results.

In laboratory challenges, survival rate was increased from 30% to nearly 80% in 2-3 generations of selection, the company reported. Significant results in the field were also obtained when using the BCWD-resistant trout eggs.

“We are so happy to use the BCWD-resistant ova for us as well as our customers. We tried them from the very beginning and now have the experience of many years. Since we have four batches per year on our farm, we have seen the results of both strains, giving us a direct comparison. It makes a big difference,” German trout farmer Forellenzucht Trostadt said.