Tuna Breakthrough

Clean Seas Tuna Limited has successfully induced reproductive maturation among male Southern Bluefin Tuna broodstock housed in the company’s purpose-built, land-based breeding facility at Arno Bay, South Australia. It is the first time in the world that reproductive maturation of Southern Bluefin Tuna has been achieved under controlled conditions and is a major step towards achieving the company’s long-term goal of breeding and growing out Southern Bluefin Tuna from its own broodstock. The world-first breakthrough was achieved using hormonal therapy developed in Europe to mimic the natural production of hormones by wild fish, and was undertaken with the cooperation and supervision of internationally acclaimed tuna scientists, Professor Christopher Bridges (University of Dusseldorf) and Dr Constantinos Mylonas (Hellenic Centre for Marine Research). The technique also has been successfully used to induce spawning in Atlantic Bluefin Tuna – a close relative species of Southern Bluefin Tuna. The courtship behaviour and release of sperm by the captive Southern Bluefin Tuna was documented using underwater video observations. The broodstock will continue to be monitored with the expectation of completing their reproductive maturation and producing viable (fertilised) eggs. Further information about the breakthrough is available here.

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