Progress of the STREAMS Project: Cryopreservation and Fertilization of Native Trout in Sardinia

In January, at the Rio Fundu di Monti (ZSP Monte Limbara, north-east Sardinia), the partner Forestas started the activities of the STREAMS project to support the reproductive season of native trout.
The operations began with the collection of semen from five mature males, allowing the cryopreservation of 19 doses (each dose is sufficient for the fertilization of approximately 400 eggs). The use of cryopreserved semen represents a precious resource for the conservation of the species, allowing fertilization even when the maturation of wild females is not synchronized with that of males.
Subsequently, 439 eggs from two native female trout were fertilized:
• 223 eggs with fresh semen
• 216 eggs with cryopreserved semen
The eggs are currently kept in the STREAMS mobile hatchery, located at the Fundu di Monti fish farm. The comparison between the two groups of eggs will allow us to evaluate the effectiveness of cryopreservation compared to traditional methods of fertilization with fresh semen.
In parallel with the activities in the Rio Fundu di Monti, the Montimannu hatchery in southern Sardinia is also operational. In this area, the female trout are not yet ready for pressing, but the cryopreserved semen already collected will be essential for the next fertilization phases.