A first step to set up a tuna breeding farm project will be taken on French Polynesia's Hao atoll in September.
This was announced by the atoll's mayor, Temauri Foster, who is also a minister in the French Polynesian government after his defection from the opposition Tahoeraa.
The atoll is a former military base and the yellow tuna fish project is seen as a possible venture to offer employment and produce an export commodity.
The announcement was made when Mr Foster hosted a Japanese government delegation on Hao.
Mr Foster says construction work on the Hao project will begin regardless of whether it receives tax exemption approval for investors from the French government.
However, the breeding of yellow fin tuna in submerged cages is still a relatively new technique despite the several similar projects undertaken in Brazil, Ecuador and Oman.
