The company said the NSW Government had been notified of the move to wind the project up with Huon Aquaculture CEO Peter Bender labelling the trial ‘a success’ despite thousands of fish escaping the farm following the damage of sea pens in January 2018.

The controversial ocean-farmed yellowtail kingfish research trial in Port Stephens will conclude earlier than expected.

Huon Aquaculture confirmed on Tuesday that it would abandon the joint trial with the NSW Department of Primary Industries, while the company explores possible farming sites elsewhere in NSW.

No date has been issued.

Huon CEO Peter Bender labelled the trial as “a success in that we have learnt about how to farm high-quality yellowtail kingfish in warm water as well as farming in a highly exposed site”.

This was despite the farm’s future being thrown into question in January 2018 when 20,000 fish escaped from one of three pens.

“The trial [in Providence Bay] demonstrated there are no biological challenges to farming yellowtail kingfish while also providing valuable information around environmental, economic and marketing matters associated with farming the species. We are now in a position to pursue commercially farming kingfish off Australia’s coast.”

Mr Bender paid tribute to the team at Port Stephens Fisheries. “We simply couldn’t have achieved what we have without their research and technical support.”

He said ongoing challenges with the trial included sourcing commercial quantities of fingerlings, and the lack of a suitable holding/harvest site to ensure a stable market supply.

The moorings and marker buoys will be eventually removed from the trial site and pens, nets and other equipment will be cleaned, disinfected and taken to Tasmania.

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