Barramundi Raised in Open Ocean Cages off Marshall Islands

An Australian company is raising barramundi in open ocean cages in the equatorial waters surrounding the Marshall Islands, which are situated between Guam and Hawaii.

GFB Fisheries Ltd. is the world's first company to produce barramundi hatchlings from fertilized eggs in Australia and raise them in open ocean cages near the Marshall Islands. The feat took years of trial and error to accomplish, Carey Ramm, managing director of GFB Fisheries, told the Bowen Independent.

The first batch of hatchlings were flown to the Marshall Islands, but subsequent batches will be delivered by ocean freight. Ramm currently operates a 164-foot live fish carrier but plans to expand the fleet to eight carriers when annual production peaks at 50,000 metric tons of barramundi.

GFB already sells 500 metric tons of barramundi farmed at its Bowen and Townsville facilities. Ramm said the fish grew faster in the warm ocean waters near the equator than in the colder tank waters in Bowen.

The 1.1-pound barramundi will be marketed live in Southeast Asia, added Ramm.

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