Yellowtail kingfish. (Photo: Stock File)
Huon launches protocol to recover escaped yellowtail kingfish
AUSTRALIA
Friday, January 19, 2018, 22:10 (GMT + 9)
Huon Aquaculture reported that one of its yellowtail kingfish (Seriola lalandi) was damaged after four days of severe storms, causing the escape of an undetermined number of fish.
The company explained that the incident happened in one of its five pens installed in the Marine Aquaculture Research Lease (MARL) pilot farm, installed in Providence Bay, Port Stephens. They informed they started its Escapee Recapture Protocol to recapture fish, where several vessels and divers will work.
Huon said will conduct an intense internal investigation together with its research partners, the New South Wales Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI), once the recovery response has been completed at the MARL site.
For the time being, the compay informed through a statement that early indications suggest that the design of the equipment has not been the main cause of the incident.
The Protocol is programmed to attract escapees back within the net through feeding, since farmed yellowtail kingfish have a vigorous response to commercial feed pellets.
This aquaculture project is a collaboration between NSW DPI and Huon Aquaculture to determine the viability and sustainability of yellowtail kingfish farming in marine cages.
In the pilot-scale farm the response of the equipment during severe weather conditions is also investigated, and Huon emphasizes that this facility is capable of withstanding tougher conditions than any aquaculture operation in Australia.
Each cage contains between 15,000 and 20,000 of the fish. The escaped fish are smaller than 50 centimetres with the legal catch size being 65cm.
[email protected]
www.seafood.media
|