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AN Australian aquaculture company has recently announced that it has been successful in breeding one of the world most endangered fish species - the bluefin tuna.
Clean Seas Tuna Company has announced says it has managed to produce bluefin from its offshore Arno Bay facility on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula.
In the past year bluefin tuna has become the main cause celebre among environmentalists with calls for a total global fishing ban from some groups, even though claims that the fishery is in danger everywhere are strongly disputed. Few doubt, however, that stocks in the Mediterranean and in waters around Australia are seriously threatened.
But hope may be on the horizon. The Clean Seas Tuna Company has said that two world-first transfers of batches of fingerlings have been carried through successfully from onshore nursery tanks to sea cages “for controlled grow-out trials in the ocean environment”.
The 90 fingerlings, which are generally between 8 and 10cm long and weigh up to 15 grams, have been weaned on to a manufactured diet and transferred to a 25 meter offshore holding pen. A test sample of a similar number of fish has been kept in the nursery tanks, while progress of both groups is tracked.
Clean Sea managing director Clifford Ashby said: "“This is the world’s first transfer of Southern Bluefin Tuna fingerlings to the ocean,.
These recent steps achieved by Clean Seas Tuna is part of a long term, international project to propagated production of Southern Bluefin Tuna.
“It is another significant step forward for us. It is not only a critical stage for Clean Seas Tuna, but also places Australia at the forefront of technological initiatives being undertaken in global marine aquaculture,” he added. “The pioneering nature of the breeding programme means that every stage produces a challenge for our skilled production, research and development and grow-out teams and we are closely monitoring these fingerlings with great anticipation."
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