The underlying rationale of FishPopTrace is to assess and address challenges arising from the development of traceability tools within a forensic framework for four judiciously chosen target species: cod (Gadus morhua), hake (Merluccius merluccius), herring (Clupea harengus) and sole (Solea solea).

While current information on levels of population structuring in traits such as life histories, morphometrics, genetics and physiology will be used to inform sample choice, new data will be restricted to markers at two levels:
(i) Routine screening: selection of markers that exhibit maximal discriminatory power to identify populations, though with discrete and controlled variance enabling validation (single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and otolith microchemistry and morphometrics). Data from DNA based methods provide a mechanism for traceability throughout the food supply chain (“fish to fork”) and indicate discrete spawning populations, whereas otoliths provide an independent on-board traceability system of fish provenance.
(ii) Testing of novel tools: additional tools will be tested on a selection of populations to assess validity and potential for traceability and validation, including fatty acid analysis, proteomics, gene expression analysis and the generation of high-throughput microarray platforms for SNP genotyping.

Thus, FishPopTrace will provide information that relates to geography (“population tag”), as well as providing regional signatures that indicate biological differentiation in relation to spawning identity.

The project is coordinated by University of Wales Bangor, UK.