Abstract

Due to declining stocks and increased fishing pressure there are serious concerns that the present fisheries and fattening industry for Bluefin Tuna (Thunnus thynnus) is not sustainable and that every effort should be made to develop BFT aquaculture. TRANSDOTT represents a “top-down” approach from one Enterprise, four SME´s and three non SME´s to build on the scientific results obtained from two previous projects REPRODOTT in (FP5)  and SELFDOTT (FP7) and to translate them  into a commercially viable innovative marketable application for tuna aquaculture. Starting in April 2012, based on an already established broodstock in a  central Mediterranean major SME in Malta, fertilized tuna eggs will be provided in June 2012 and 2013  for larval rearing in three industrial scale hatchery SME´s  for rearing scenarios in Spain, Israel and Italy together with two experimental hatcheries in Malta and Israel.  RTD will involve the validation of existing protocols with the generation of fingerlings in late summer to be transferred from the industrial hatcheries to grow- out sea cages. Previously tried and tested, successful weaning and grow-out diets from SELFDOTT will be supplied by the Enterprise partner. The economic viability of these methodologies will be studied and used for the development of commercialization and capitalization of this process to provide sustainable Tuna Aquaculture.