July 27, 2014 — A fish farming technology company plans to begin construction of a huge, untethered and highly automated spherical pen for farming yellowfin and bigeye tuna off the Kohala coast.
Hawaii Oceanic Technology Inc. intends to deploy a prototype Oceansphere sometime next year, and contractors are working to finalize the design for the skeleton of the 180-foot wide geodesic sphere, HOTI’s CEO Bill Spencer said.
The deepwater pen will be capable of holding 1,000 tons of ahi at a depth of 1,300 feet. Fish grow faster in deep ocean settings, have fewer parasites and better food conversion ratios, according to the company.
HOTI officials don’t yet know how many of the spheres they will build.
“That depends on how well (the first one) goes,” Spencer said. “Our goal is to develop a new, environmentally responsible way to raise tuna in deep waters.”
The company received its final permit from the Army Corps of Engineers last year in a plan to build up to 12 of the spheres in a 247-acre area about three miles off of Malae Point near Kawaihae. The site is under a 35-year lease from the state.