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Skretting prepares for sustainable tuna farming
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Companies and research teams around the
world are near to breeding and rearing bluefin tuna in captivity.
Skretting ARC and Skretting have succeeded in developing a feed
concept for this much sought after giant fish.
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For many years, bluefin tuna has been in demand for its exclusive,
dark red meat. However, increased demand has led to over fishing
and this fish is now considered to be a threatened species.
Since 1997, Skretting Australia has been involved in research on
bluefin tuna. Over the past year, Australian fish farmers have
been able to conduct commercial farming of this lucrative fish
using feed from Skretting. However, the path to this stage has
been anything but smooth, as bluefin tuna has a discerning palate.
Karl Sveinsvoll, a researcher in Skretting ARC, says, ”The main
challenge was to develop a feed with a texture and size that the
bluefin tuna wanted to eat, at the same time as containing
sufficient and the correct nutrients. This problem was solved by
using the feed block concept, Aurora Gel, which was patented in
2003.” Sveinsvoll also says ARC and Skretting are currently
testing a new generation of feed blocks, which they have called
AquaSoft Tuna.
”There are significant advantages of feeding formulated feed to
bluefin tuna, as the alternative has usually been to feed them
“trash fish”, such as herring and mackerel – with a feed
conversion ratio up to 20. Formulated feed contributes toward
greater sustainability, traceability, less risk of transmitting
disease and better control of the nutritional profile of the fish,”
Sveinsvoll says.
Skretting is also testing the bluefin tuna feed in Japan, Spain
and Turkey. So far, the results in Japan have been positive. The
trials in the Mediterranean countries have not been as successful
until recently when the team experienced a break through in Spain
with the new feed. Although Skretting has a feed that the bluefin
tuna likes, there are other pressing problems that must be solved
before commercial farming of bluefin tuna is possible. Bluefin
tuna farming is currently based on wild fish that have been caught
and fed until they reach harvesting weight.
”The challenge is to get the fish to reproduce in captivity and to
get the fry to survive into adulthood,” Sveinsvoll says.
The challenge of “closing the life cycle” is the topic of SELFDOTT
(SELF-sustained aquaculture and DOmestication of Thunnus Thynnus),
an EU-funded research project, which Skretting ARC, among others,
is taking part in.
Source: Skretting
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World Fishing Today June 2010 |
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