Speaking at an international aquaculture science symposium in Adelaide, Clean Seas founder, Hagen Stehr, said the company could replace Australia's entire 23 per cent cut in SBT with sustainable tank-bred SBT well within five years.
Mr Stehr said the company aimed to breed and rear 25,000 SBT juveniles at Arno Bay in the coming year.
"This is a very conservative estimate as we are committed to walking before we run," he said.
"However, it is entirely within possibility that we will far exceed that number in the next few years given the success of our collaboration partner Kinki University in Japan with northern bluefin tuna."
Last month, Kinki University transferred 190,000 aquaculture-bred NBT juveniles from its hatchery into sea cages off Japan - roughly equivalent to Australia's total adjusted SBT quota of 4015 tonnes.
"It is highly realistic that in the medium term, Clean Seas will achieve the same production levels, effectively duplicating Australia's southern bluefin tuna wild catch quota every year."
Mr Stehr said the world's leading aquaculture scientists endorsed his view and were lining up to help and learn.
Clean Seas To Secure Tuna's Future
AUSTRALIA - Clean Seas Tuna can secure the future of southern bluefin tuna (SBT) based on its efforts to breed the species in captivity.
