What Makes Our Genetics Program Different

Sapphire Springs will have a cutting-edge facility with the capacity to significantly increase the global supply of Arctic Charr, but none of that means anything if we don’t have a great broodstock program that produces a high-quality fish for restaurants, grocery stores, and home kitchens.

The Sapphire Springs broodstock program is built upon two distinct strains of charr, the Nayak Lake and Tree River. Both of these strains were originally domesticated by the Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) in the early 70s. Some of the stock was maintained at the DFO facility for research, while the balance of both strains was commercially reared by Icy Waters Ltd. Sapphire Springs has strategically acquired both original stocks to create a peerless proprietary strain of Arctic Charr already in development for over 30 years.

This resulting strain of fish is one that you can only find at Sapphire Springs. It’s completely unique to us, and it’s sought after globally. With our world-renowned genetics program once our new facility is completed, we believe we’ll have the single best Arctic Charr ova program in the world. We’ll produce quality you’ll be able to see and taste.

Sapphire Springs’ ova is backed by years of research. Our team of dedicated aquaculture experts work with industry experts to create the perfect genomic selection program. Our hatchery environment is tightly controlled, so Sapphire Springs possesses industry leading hatch out rates, low maturation, and high disease tolerance, making our broodstock the world standard.

Part of that also comes from our stringent independent lab verification tests. Operating within a registered compartment of the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), all Sapphire Springs ova are certified disease free. Each spawning season is closely monitored by Sapphire Springs Hatchery Technicians under CFIA oversite to ensure the fish stay healthy.