Major Investment in Australian Bluefin Tuna Industry
11 January 2012ANALYSIS - There is new optimism in the Australian southern bluefin tuna (SBT) industry with quotas increasing and research and trials looking at improving productivity, writes Charlotte Johnston, TheFishSite editor.
In October 2011, the Commission for the Conservation of South Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT) increased the Australian quota by 13 per cent to 4,528 tonnes.
And things are only set to get better, says Brian Jeffries, CEO of the SBT Industry Association.
"The quota increase is the first year of the longer-term increases announced by the CCSBT. They are expected to take the Australian quota to 6,665 tonnes by 2015."
After two decades of uncertainty about wildstock hanging over the industry, new scientific data by CCSBT shows the stock to be much stronger than previously assessed. Further preliminary studies since then have confirmed this.
"All the Australian boats for SBT have now left Port Lincoln for the main catching season for SBT ranching," says Mr Jeffries.
Over 98 per cent of the Australian quota is caught live (at 17kg average) by the Port Lincoln purse seiners. The fish are then towed to Port Lincoln in big pontoons and grown out for three to six months for export.
The industry's only concern is the possible impact of the large-scale seismic survey by BP west of the fishing grounds. This survey is taking place right in the migratory path of the SBT from the Indian Ocean to the fishing area off Port Lincoln.
"We know the exact migratory path from archival tagging. The industry warned the state and federal governments of the risk, and asked that the seismic survey be done outside the fishing season. The governments did not agree because doing the survey at other times might lead to interaction with whales," says Mr Jeffries.
Despite this concern, industry optimism has led to major investments in new growout techniques.
A number of farms have moved from the current ranching zone - with a 24m water depth - to a new zone with a 44m depth. Mr Jeffries explains that although the water is much rougher here, and it is a further distance for feeding, it is believed that the tuna will improve feed conversion ratios and have higher growth rates. All of which will add value to the end product.
A commercial trial is underway, which is looking at growing out smaller fish (8kg) for much longer than the current maximum six months. This follows a successful ASBTIA research trial on longer-term growout. This is a system used widely in Croatia - but where growing conditions are very different from Australia.
It is expected that these fish will be grown out for up to 18 months.
Australia needs some longer-term growout to be able to supply fresh ranched SBT all year round. Currently, the availability of fresh SBT for only part of the year is an obstacle to selling in markets outside Japan.
Another advantage to catching smaller fish is that it is better use of quotas.
In 2011, the industry trialled new husbandry techniques. Mr Jeffries says that these techniques reduced mortalities in farms to less than one per cent, and increased fish growth rates and quality.
"All these are part of the continuous improvement strategy of the industry, underpinned by major investment in research. The industry fully recognises that it has to run very hard to consolidate the gains made in the Japanese market and the future quota," says Mr Jeffries.
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