Already the Japanese university engaged to help the company has made a number of recommendations on how to improve the breeding program at Clean Seas' Arno Bay hatchery.

The company said the male tuna are mature and it had "sufficient knowledge and experience to ensure the males spermiate as and when required".

Clean Seas said it needed to develop its larval rearing techniques for tuna, as it did for yellowtail kingfish and mulloway.

In September the company partnered with Japan's Kinki University, which has the only hatchery in the world to close the northern bluefin tuna lifecycle.

The university's recommendations have been on larval rearing tank specifications, larvae feed type and heat and light conditions.

"Clean Seas is currently implementing those recommendations ahead of our planned January to March 2009 SBT spawning."

Kingfish grown by Clean Seas Tuna will be sold by France's largest supermarket chain from next week.

Harvesting of the first container-load of kingfish began yesterday and will be air-freighted to France by the weekend, ready for trial distribution through the 1500-store Intermarche chain from early next week.

Speaking at Clean Seas' annual general meeting on Tuesday, chairman Hagen Stehr said the company was optimistic that French orders for its kingfish would grow significantly and create the opportunity for further inroads to the European market.

"From selling one tonne per week about three years ago, we are now getting towards 50 tonnes a week, every week to various markets around the world," Mr Stehr said.

"We are developing new products that are finding increasing acceptance in the market, and are now starting to shift whole sea containers frozen to the US and European Union. Our next target is 100 tonnes per week by the end of next year."