Clean Seas Tuna has announced that its strategy of starting its southern bluefin tuna breeding program earlier than last year has been successful.
Interim chief executive Paul Steere said the company’s broodstock had started spawning in early December with the main spawning season expected to start at its Atrno Bay hatchery on Eyre Peninsula in the next two weeks.
“Several females have shown activity and now we are anticipating the others will join in and we will get a major spawn of significance,” Mr. Steere said.
“We have some viable larvae and eggs and we expect a substantial increase in activity in the next fortnight.'”
Mr. Steere said the company was confident that it would achieve its timetable of getting juvenile tuna into the sea quite a bit earlier than last year.
“The earlier start is with a regular number of small, but viable spawns in the past month, allowing the instigation of the all-important new season's larval rearing trials at the hatchery,” Mr. Steere said.
