Source: Stock Journal
Port Lincoln tuna companies will continue to farm further offshore after southern bluefin tuna cages have been successfully trialed in deeper water.
Sarin Marine Farm will farm further offshore for the third year in a row, while it is expected Blaslov Fishing Company and the Stehr Group will also farm out in the deeper water for the upcoming season.
The deeper farming zone is located about 20 miles from the Port Lincoln marina.
The deeper cages are about 16 metres deeper than the normal cages used to farm southern bluefin tuna, and travelling time for fishers to get to the new zone is a six-hour round trip from the Port Lincoln marina.
Sarin Marine Farm general manager Mark Thyer said he was looking forward to farming in deeper water for the third year in a row, and liked the challenge it brought.
“It’s stressful, but I like the challenge,†he said.
“We had a good result with the cages this year, that’s why I’m doing it again. It’s about the quality of the fish, they seem happier in a way.â€
Mr. Thyer said as the southern bluefin tuna were traditionally caught in the pristine water of the Great Australian Bight, allowing the fish to grow in cages in deeper water had positive results because the fish were grown in water closer to their natural environment.
He said although the benefits from farming in the deeper water this year had been evident, fuel, crew and feeding costs were still an issue for farming in the new deeper cages.
Sarin Marine Farm crews were expected to start fishing for their first catch in the new year, with the farming of tuna predicted to begin in February.