Clean Seas Tuna is crying out for locally-based labor as it gets set to expand its Arno Bay-based operations.
The call for local workers goes out in response to news that Clean Seas Tuna Limited is set to take over the aquaculture business that has been growing out its stocks of Kingfish and Mulloway.
The acquisition of the Stehr family-owned Clean Seas Aquaculture Growout Pty Ltd (CSAG) is a major boost for Clean Seas, which expects to achieve significantly lower production costs as a result of the purchase.
Clean Seas chairman Hagen Stehr said the acquisition marks a pivotal milestone for the company.
â€Having control of both the on-shore and off-shore infrastructure and people within the one company will better position Clean Seas for further expansion,†he said.
Until now, Clean Seas has only managed the hatcheries and on-shore facilities at its Arno Bay, Port Augusta and Fitzgerald Bay operations which produce Kingfish and Mulloway fingerlings that CSAG had been contracted to grow out to mature fish.
Clean Seas will now assume responsibility for the entire process, which anticipates seeing Southern Bluefin Tuna fingerlings added to the production schedule in 2008.
However, the success of the enterprise is reliant on the sourcing of more local labour in the long-term, Mr. Stehr said.
â€Our success depends on support from the local community,†he said.
“We will keep on expanding - but only if we can get the support of the local workforce, long-term. “We just can’t find enough workers. We’re trucking in people from Port Lincoln which is just nonsense if you think about it.