Aussie fish breeding concept second best invention of 2009

by Jeni Bone on 15 Dec 2009 German-born, Port Lincoln fishing baron, Hagen Stehr's success at breeding southern bluefin tuna in captivity has been declared Time magazine's second best invention of 2009.

The magazine named the 'Clean Seas' breakthrough as second only to NASA's Ares 1 rocket, in its list of the 50 Best Inventions of 2009.

The Clean Seas' concept of breeding southern bluefin tuna at its Arno Bay hatchery on Eyre Peninsula came in ahead of inventions and innovation, including the AIDS vaccine.

'At 8.47am on March 12, fish history happened in Port Lincoln, Australia,' the magazine said. 'A tankful of southern bluefin tuna began to spawn, and they didn't stop for more than a month.'

A delighted Mr Stehr said: 'By coaxing the notoriously fussy southern bluefin to breed in landlocked tanks, Clean Seas may finally have given the future of bluefin aquaculture legs (or at least a tail).'

'We are excited by its commercial potential and the potential to provide a sustainable source of quality seafood for a protein hungry world - particularly at a time when wild tuna stocks are under threat from over-fishing,' he said.
The Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna last month cut Australia's share of the world quota from 5265 tonnes to 4015 tonnes.

Clean Seas is due to start commercially breeding southern bluefin tuna by Christmas.

TIME MAGAZINE'S TOP FIVE INVENTIONS OF 2009:

1- NASA's Ares rocket: A 100m-long rocket that, within a few years, will be ready to launch a manned spacecraft into the cosmos.
2 - Tank-bred tuna: Hagen Stehr's company worked out how to breed southern bluefin tuna in captivity.
3 - The $10 million lightbulb: Philips launched an LED bulb that emits the same amount of light as old-style bulbs but uses less than 10 watts and lasts for 25,000 hours.
4 - The smart thermostat: The EnergyHub Dashboard can talk wirelessly to various appliances in your house, telling you how much electricity (or gas) each one is using.
5 - Controller-free gaming: The gamer's body becomes the controller with Microsoft technology that allows console game characters to be controlled by your body and voice.

More at http://www.stehrgroup.net/company.htm