Salmo-K+: Innovative incubation strategy optimizing the recruitment of river microbial symbionts to maximize the resistance of stocked fry to pathogens in the natural environment.

The Salmo K+ project aims to develop a new method for producing wild Atlantic salmon eggs that integrates the microbiota specific to the target river from the incubation stage, in order to produce fry that are more disease-resistant and better adapted to the natural environment. The initiative will test two types of recirculating incubation systems conditioned with water from the source rivers, first in experimental columns (2026–2027), then in standard drawer incubators (2027–2028). Conducted in collaboration with the SSRR, the MELCCFP’s Tadoussac station, and INRS CIRSA, this project is part of the international strategy for the conservation of Atlantic salmon and could transform stocking practices by significantly improving the survival of young salmon in the wild.