Mr Jeffriess said that the predicted increase in quota is thanks to improved management of stocks and the end of over-fishing by the Japanese.
He told the Port Lincoln Times that the main issue is that the global tuna ranching industry, which started in Port Lincoln, is only 10 years old, compared to other rural industries such as wheat and beef, which are thousands of years old.
"We have a lot to learn. In the next five to six years, the tuna industry will raise its productivity, get a quota increase, diversify its markets, increase promotion, and add further value to the processing," he told the newspaper.
He said that the Port Lincoln tuna ranching harvest in 2007 was 10,957 tonnes - the highest ever.
Rise in Quota Expected
AUSTRALIA - A rise in the quota for tuna can be expected within the next five to six years according to Australian Southern Bluefin Tuna Association chief executive officer Brian Jeffriess.