The breakthrough in farming of Southern Bluefin Tuna in the tanks of Clean Seas Ltd. in Australia has been awarded the world''s 2nd best invention in 2009 by TIME Magazine.
This breakthrough was made possible by a recirculation aquaculture system for land based farming of tuna, delivered by AKVA group in Denmark. For the first time, Southern Bluefin Tuna successfully spawned in a controlled environment in captivity. This tuna farming breakthrough was only beaten by NASA's new Ares 1 space exploration rocket.
The advanced tank farming technology was delivered to Clean Seas Ltd. in Australia, after the company took the initiative for the development of this idea. Clean Seas is now hatching and rearing fingerlings in the tanks, after which the fish are transferred to ocean farming cages where they are grown to a harvest weight of 50-80kg. Consequently, consumption of this tuna can now be done based on environmentally sustainable principles while at the same time reducing the pressure on wild stocks.
"This success story is the result of a close cooperation with our Australian customer. We delivered the first recirculation system to Clean Seas back in 2007 and they started the operation by transferring 150kg brood fish into the tanks", says AKVA group's CMO, Trond Severinsen. "Clean Seas' specialists then began the work of getting the fish to spawn in captivity, and succeeded early 2008, making it an international break-through. We are of course very proud to be part of this project and very flattered to have our technology recognised by TIME Magazine in this way".
