A European research consortium has been successful in spawning Atlantic bluefin tuna in two different locations in the Mediterranean Sea.
Starting on June 29, 2009, the SELFDOTT and ALLOTUNA consortia began maintaining a captive-reared broodstock of Atlantic bluefin tuna in sea cage facilities in Cartagena, Spain and Mare Nostrium, Italy.
Until July 17, the fish spawned daily, producing a total of 140 million eggs. The maximum was achieved on July 3, with 34 million eggs produced that day.
The eggs were then sent to research hatcheries in Spain, France, Malta, Italy, Greece and Israel to commence research on larval rearing.
The successful spawning of the Atlantic bluefin tuna marks an important milestone towards the domestication of the fish.
