Hawaii regulators have approved a Honolulu startup companyโs plan to build the nationโs first tuna farm in waters off the Big Island.
Hawaii Oceanic Technology aims to create an environmentally friendly open ocean farm for bigeye tuna, a favorite source for sushi and sashimi thatโs overfished in the wild. The project would also be the worldโs first commercial bigeye farm.
The state Board of Land and Natural Resources voted 4-to-1 to give Hawaii Oceanic permission to install three large underwater cages for the tuna.
"Iโm concerned on a global level and a local level that we have severe overfishing going on, and something needs to be done," said board member John Morgan, who voted in favor of the project.