Australia: Clean Seas Tuna's ongoing tuna research and feed trials have been successful, with the Port Lincoln-based aquaculture company reporting continuous spawning over a 35-day period from March 12 to April 16. Over 50 million fertilised eggs and 30 million larvae were produced. According to Clean Seas, numerous instances of over 90 percent fertilisation were achieved.
"Our dream has become a reality," said Clean Seas Tuna Chairman Hagen Stehr. "The achievements are world firsts, and major stepping stones to present the world with a sustainable resource for the future."
"Clean Seas Tuna [has] shown it is biologically possible to spawn giant tuna in the temperate waters off Port Lincoln, thousands of miles from their tropical breeding grounds. Commercially, the path is open to revolutionise the tuna industry and see captive [Australian] tuna aquaculture grow to a multi billion dollar sector," said Professor Abigail Elizur from the University of the Sunshine Coast, who has been involved since the project's inception stated.
According to Mr Sterh, research and development is ongoing and commercialisation would be the next step.
"Developments such as these are of immense financial value and closely guarded, but the company will endeavour to keep shareholders informed as much as possible in this exciting phase," said Mr Stehr. "As with all aquaculture, challenges always exist."
Disclosure: Members of the Baird family and companies in the Baird Publications group own shares in Clean Seas Tuna.
