Source: Port Lincoln Times
Clean Seas Tuna is seeking an investor to take over half of the company’s yellowtail kingfish operations.
The company’s chief executive officer Dr. Craig Foster said Clean Seas was seeking a partner to possibly spin its kingfish operations into a 50/50 venture with.
Mr. Foster said the company needed the investor after its financial difficulties due to ongoing health problems in its kingfish production.
“It has cost us quite dearly,†he said.
“We have decided to seek a joint venture partner because we don’t have the financial strength to be able to build that business back up in a reasonable time.â€
Dr. Foster said informal discussions between the company and possible investors from Australia and Europe had already begun.
He said investors would be sought through stockbroking firm BBY, and Clean Seas would seek a partner in either Australia, Asia or Europe.
“We hope we will have an investor established by the end of December,†he said.
It has been a rough year for Clean Seas Tuna financially, with the company announcing in May it would post a $32 million loss for the year due to kingfish sickness and write downs.
The company said about $14 million of the loss was directly related to the sickness of the kingfish, which has been pinned down to gut enteritis.