ITS-EEL (2018-2021) is a research and innovation project between the Technical University of Denmark (DTU Aqua) and aquaculture industry partners.
The long-term goal and vision of the consortium is to establish a hatchery production of glass eels for closed-cycle European eel aquaculture. Building on previous achievements, ITS-EEL will advance emergent technologies to breed European eel and scale-up larval culture for future glass eel production.
Focus is on enhancing offspring survival and culture technology, sustaining the feeding larval stage, leptocephalus, and leading to glass eels.
Closing the life cycle in captivity requires understanding the species’ reproductive biology, early life.
For eel, captive breeding and offspring culture is challenged by inhibition of sexual maturation during the continental phase, unknown reproductive stages and early life history in the oceanic phase, as well as limited insight in larval feeding ecology. However, research steadily advances insights.
ITS-EEL is supported financially by
- Innovation Fund Denmark – 15 million DKK
- ENV-“Fonden”- 2 million DKK