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of large fish such as tuna was
inevitable, profitable and the right thing for the
environment.
But the majority of the local
tuna industry is standing behind its claims that breeding
southern bluefin tuna would remove the one advantage the
local waters have, and that is its proximity to the wild,
caught fish that currently sustains the industry.
The joint industry and
government funded group known as the Aquafin Cooperative
Research Centre (CRC) with its seven-year cash budget of
about AUD 30 million in upcoming months will determine what
priority should be given to propagation.
Indications are that the
industry will not favour resources being allocated to
solving propagation.
Both Mr Gordin and Mr Stehr
believe there needs to be a focus on breeding tuna. Mr
Gordin was in Australia primarily to focus on efforts in
Queensland to breed and farm yellowfin tuna, but he took
time to visit South Australia and to visit Mr Stehr's
Cleanseas Hatchery in Arno Bay.
"I almost didn't recognise
the place after two years," he said.
"It certainly is state of the
art with cutting-edge technology."
He said the kingfish hatchery
was the perfect "launching bed" for jumping into tuna
propagation, and scientists there had already started
developing feed and other technologies specifically for
tuna.
According to
United Nations figures, the
growing world population would require at least another 40
tonnes of additional seafood every year.
One of the only ways to meet
that sort of demand was to breed and farm larger fish.
"Tuna are fast growing, have
excellent food conversion rates and 70 per cent of their
body is edible," Mr Gordin said.
Past approaches to crack the
"holy grail" of tuna breeding failed because they had not
taken a holistic, interdisciplinary approach.
The latest development on the
world propagation stage was that a partnership had been
developed among several European countries as well as other
such as Israel to start a new northern bluefin tuna
propagation research program funded in part by the
European Union.
Mr Gordin recently convened
an international propagation conference in Spain.
This programme beginning in
2003 would involve laboratories in eight different European
countries with an industry partner and plans to farm the
propagated fish off Spain.
"This is going to be an
orchestra," Mr Gordin said.
Mr Stehr said he was
disappointed with the apparent shift against propagation,
but insisted his desire to solve the challenge had only
increased.
He said he had already
invested significant funds into his project, with plans to
gain new partners and to remain involved in international
research such as Mr Gordin's European project.
Australian tuna industry
spokesman Brian Jeffriess confirmed the majority of the
industry was more interested in using the CRC funds to solve
more pressing issues such as the import of foreign bait, the
development of the new offshore zone and further review of
the risk assessment associated with fish health.
The industry believed
propagation should take a back seat to these issues, he
said.
"It's still in limbo," Mr
Jeffriess said.
By Stan Gorton
FIS.com |
