This report was trying to establish, with one of the Japanese Companies who are longline fishing south of Tasmania, a contact so that in the future we can establish a radio contact and exchange fishing information so we can fish the same areas.

Since the beginning of the FIRTA GRANT we have established an export processing plant in Tasmania and purchased a Flake ice machine. Eventually when a longline fishery for fresh or frozen Tuna is established we will be able to take advantage of our premises and assist the industry with the right infrastructure and use it as a base. 

Our belief is that there is a longline Tuna fishery off Tasmania from time to time and being close enough inshore for smaller vessels using longline and troll lines. The opinion of the Japanese, however, is that although we believe in this inshore fishery, they say that it is well offshore where water currents, colour of the water and temperatures do not have such a large influence as inshore.

Water temperatures off the Tasmanian coast have definitely been higher over the past two years than ever before and this factor alone could be a major reason that Bluefin are non-existent inshore or at the most in exceptionally small quantities. 

Our Company is absolutely committed to ongoing experimentation in an endeavor to establish a longline fishery in Tasmania.