Genetic consequences of large scale harvest and translocation of cleaner fish for aquaculture

Cleaner fish are increasingly used in Norwegian salmon farming to combat salmon lice and other parasites. This has led to a high fishing pressure and annual translocation of millions of wild fish that are transported long distance, sometimes across national borders. We use genetic methods to describe wild populations of different species of cleaner fish. We study how they adapt to different environments, connectivity between populations and their role in the ecosystem. To understand how the translocation of fish affect local ecosystems and populations, we investigate methods for identifying cleaner fish that escape from salmon farms. This will contribute to a better understanding of the biology of the species, provide important information to the management for a more sustainable fishery, and create a tool for monitoring escaped fish.