OTL has started two new partnering arrangements with the Inter American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC) and the University of Stirling’s Institute of Aquaculture (IOA). It is told that these arrangements are to prepare the way for an ongoing research program and the development of OTL’s two commercial projects. The company has signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the IATTC at the beginning of March, which is based on a research programme on yellowfin tuna developed by OTL that is being implemented in conjunction with a planned Scottish based research and commercial pilot for albacore tuna.
It is explained that this partnership will allow OTL to proceed with its own research centre in Panama, as well as a commercial project for sustainable yellowfin tuna aquaculture. It is told that the MOU signed with the IOA is a step forward in the development and transfer of knowledge to the United Kingdom for tuna. This will allow OTL and the IOA to work closely on the development of a pilot project on albacore tuna, aimed at bringing a new aquaculture species to Scotland.
Alex Muhlholzl, Managing Director of OTL, opined that these partnerships are a significant step forward for OTL. OTL will get the advantage and expertise of the IATTC’s 15 years of knowledge and experience in yellowfin rearing and biology, whilst the Achotines Laboratory will have access to OTL’s technology and research facility in Panama. These partnerships are expected to work to the benefit of OTL, the IOA and the IATTC. OTL’s technology, together with the expertise of the IATTC and the IOA, is said to have a facility in Panama that will allow vital ongoing research into the yellowfin tuna’s juvenile life cycle.
