Hawaii Oceanic Technology to build first US tuna farm

 

 

Hawaii regulators have approved a Hawaii Oceanic Technology's plan to build the nation's first tuna farm in waters off the Big Island.

 

Hawaii Oceanic Technology aims to create an environmentally-friendly open ocean farm for bigeye tuna, a favorite source for sushi and sashimi that's overfished in the wild. The project would also be the world's first commercial bigeye farm.

 

The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 4-to-1 to give Hawaii Oceanic permission to install three large underwater cages for the tuna.

 

Unlike many tuna farms around the world which capture immature tuna and fatten them until they are ready for harvest, Hawaii Oceanic expects to artificially hatch bigeye at a University of Hawaii lab in Hilo.

 

After the fry grow, the company will take the fish to giant ocean pens about three miles offshore where they will grow until they reach 100 pounds.

 

Hawaii Oceanic expects to avoid the disease problems that have plagued other fish farms because its ocean pens will be large and the fish will not be as densely packed in the cages.

 

The ocean is 1,300 feet deep in the area where the cages will be. This will allow strong currents to sweep away fish waste and uneaten food, preventing the pollution of the ocean floor.

 

The farm is expected to produce 6,000 tonnes of bigeye a year once fully operational, serving Hawaii, the US mainland, Japan and other parts of Asia.

 

Hawaii Oceanic projects it will generate US$120 million in annual export revenues, more than six times the value of Hawaii's current aquaculture output.

 

The company has also vowed to only purchase feed made from sustainably harvested fish and would not feed its tuna any antibiotics.