In a major breakthrough for global aquaculture, researchers in the town of Tigbauan, Iloilo, have achieved the world’s first natural spawning of mackerel tuna in captivity, potentially paving the way for sustainable tuna farming.
The Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center Aquaculture Department (SEAFDEC/AQD) announced that the mackerel tuna (Euthynnus affinis)—locally known as “tulingan” or kawakawa—reproduced naturally at their Tigbauan research center without the use of hormone injections.
The historic spawning incident began in July 2025 and continued through September.
Breeding tuna in captivity has long been considered nearly impossible due to the species’ highly migratory nature, rapid swimming speeds, and acute sensitivity to stress. Consequently, most tuna farming operations currently rely on catching wild juveniles.
“Rather than relying on artificial spawning induction, we refined broodstock care, continuously monitored the fish, and used controlled environmental techniques to create conditions conducive to natural reproduction,” said Irene Cabanilla-Legaspi, the researcher who has been leading the project since 2020.
The success is the result of years of systematic research funded by a Japanese Trust Fund. The broodstock were originally sourced as juveniles from fish traps in Antique province and underwent rigorous conditioning and transport protocols to ensure their survival and adaptation to enclosed tanks.
SEAFDEC/AQD Chief Dan Baliao hailed the achievement as a critical step toward “full-cycle culture technology”—raising tuna from egg to adult and back to egg.
“Developing reliable breeding and culture techniques for kawakawa could reduce dependence on wild-caught stocks and help stabilize tuna production,” he said.
Kawakawa is widely consumed in Southeast Asia and is valued for its firm flesh, which resembles bluefin tuna in flavor and texture.
Unlike its larger oceanic cousins, kawakawa matures rapidly and thrives in coastal waters, making it a promising candidate for sustainable commercial aquaculture.
While the breakthrough is significant, researchers noted that further work is needed to replicate the results consistently and scale up to commercial production levels.IMT
