Australia’s Southern Bluefin Tuna Industry

Underwater view with tuna school fish in ocean

The city of Port Lincoln, nestled on South Australia’s Eyre Peninsula, boasts a rich maritime history and is the heart of Australia’s Southern Bluefin Tuna (SBT) industry.

Surrounded by the Spencer Gulf to the east, the Great Australian Bight to the west, and the Gawler Ranges to the north, the Eyre Peninsula is renowned for its pristine waters and abundant marine life.

Fishing has been a cornerstone of the region throughout history, from the Barngarla Aboriginal Peoples, who relied on the sea as a food source, to the vibrant industry we see today.

The region is now a hub of tuna fishing, aquaculture, and seafood processing, making significant contributions to both local economies and global seafood markets.

A hub of fishing and aquaculture

Port Lincoln’s location provides access to the fertile waters of the Eyre Peninsula, where Southern Bluefin Tuna thrive. Tuna fishing fleets set out from Port Lincoln to catch SBT using sustainable practices regulated by the Australian government and international agreements.

In recent years, aquaculture has also flourished in Port Lincoln. Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, utilises advanced technologies and sustainable farming practices to raise Southern Bluefin Tuna in their habitat. In fact, Dinko’s lasting legacy is as the pioneer of the catching and ranching method of tuna farming.

This innovative tuna farming method helped replenish Southern Bluefin Tuna stocks and continues to protect this beautiful fish. Focused on increasing the weight of captured tuna during captivity rather than taking more fish from our oceans, this method has been instrumental in revitalising the Southern Bluefin Tuna population in South Australia.

Fed on a rich, natural diet that allows them to grow in size while maintaining their quality, we then harvest our caught Southern Bluefin Tuna using the humane Japanese ‘iki jime’ technique. This method minimises stress and maximises the quality of the fish.

These farms contribute to the local economy by creating jobs and supporting related industries such as feed production and marine engineering.

Sustainability initiatives

Due to historical overfishing and fluctuations in wild bluefin tuna populations, the Southern Bluefin Tuna industry has stringent sustainability measures and environmental stewardship measures. Regulatory bodies, including the Australian Fisheries Management Authority (AFMA), collaborate with stakeholders to enforce quotas, implement fishing restrictions, and promote sustainable practices.

Industry leaders in Port Lincoln, including Dinko Seafoods, have embraced these sustainable fishing and aquaculture practices.

Initiatives focus on minimising environmental impact, reducing bycatch, and participating in accreditation and certification programs that verify sustainable seafood sourcing.

Trust Dinko Seafoods

Dinko Seafoods is widely recognised as a global bluefin tuna farming industry pioneer. We know the gold standard… because we created it.

Our innovative catching, ranching and harvesting techniques deliver Southern Bluefin Tuna that is rich in flavour, superior in quality, and sustainable too! We are fully accredited with the MSC, the Commission for the Conversation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT), Friend of the Sea, and Dolphin Safe.

Our seafood—Southern Bluefin Tuna, Spencer Gulf King Prawns, and Australian Sardines—is ocean-fresh, quality Australian produce.

All tuna portions, prawns, and sardines are stored in our vacuum-sealed cryovac bags, packed in styrofoam eskis at -60C temperatures, so you get the freshest seafood.

Ready to put straight in the freezer or thaw if you’re ready to use, when you order our fresh seafood you can rest assured it is free of all preservatives or additives…it looks, tastes and feels as if it was caught fresh today!

When you’re ready to prepare and eat your Southern Bluefin Tuna, just follow these simple steps.

Order your Dinko Seafood today

As pioneers in global tuna farming, we use a self-managed and sustainable approach to all our processes. Passionate about ensuring a sustainable future for the fish we farm, our fishing practices are all about sustainability—we want many generations to come to enjoy them as much as we do.

The result for you is a premium quality product every time.

To make a wholesale order, contact us today.