The waters off Port Lincoln will be a hive of activity following the arrival of the first Southern Bluefin tuna for the season.
Tuna company MG Kailis's tow boat the Greta K arrived earlier this week with a tow cage holding the first tuna of the season.
The Stehr Group also has fish scheduled to arrive in the next few days while many of the other tuna companies have already left or are about to go fishing on the edge of the continental shelf in the Great Australian Bight.
MG Kailis' 6100 fish were immediately transferred to three pontoons about five kilometers east of Boston Island where they will remain for up to six months as they are fattened on a diet of pilchards and other baitfish.
Tuna division general manager John Isle said the transfer went smoothly with the entire operation completed by the end of Monday despite the rough weather. "It went exceptionally well," Isle said.
Isle said the fish were of good quality with an average weight of 18.4 kilograms, and by Tuesday the fish were feeding aggressively as the first feed boat arrived out at the cages.He said he was happy with the location of his farms, which were some of the furthest out in the gulf."It's better for the fish with the clear water and good tidal flow," he said.
On the downside were the lack of protection from rough weather and the hour-and-ten-minute commute for the workers.
The Greta K is scheduled to leave again today to bring back the next batch of tuna for MG Kailis.
"It's only a three-day turnaround which is unfortunate for the crew but they realize that's the nature of the business," Isle said.