This project aims to develop and implement new marker assisted selective breeding technology that can be used to select for improved disease resistance and provide solutions on how the genetic resources and intellectual property (IP) that are created can be best accessed and distributed in a way that facilitates aquaculture development in India.

Access to genetic resources pertaining to aquaculture is vital for the future development of this important food production sector. Aquaculture plays an important role in India’s economy both from the point of view of employment, its share in GDP and providing protein to the increasing population. Currently, relevant types of legal regimes at national and international levels are under development and meanwhile domestic and external activities take place in an unclear legal situation. Regulation of the plant-breeding sector, from which most legal regulations on genetic resources are inspired, is unsuitable for direct application to the situation with aquaculture.

The aim of Work Package 2 is to identify possible solutions for regulating access to genetic resources and legal protection of the results of research and development using such resources. Systematic knowledge on how corporate strategies and international and national regulations affect access to, and equitable sharing of benefits rising from this use of, genetic resources will be acquired. This will be done by combining biological competence on the characteristics of genetic resources (Nofima Marine/CIFE/CIBA) with legal and political science competence on resource management (Fridtjof Nansen Institute).

The project is coordinated by NOFIMA, with FNI co-leading Work Package 2.

Project period: 2008-2013