Kona Blue was founded in 2001 by Dr. Dale Sarver and Neil Anthony Sims, marine biologists and longtime Kona residents, who believed there was an opportunity for sustainably managed open ocean aquaculture of high-value, sushi-quality fish. After three years of research and development, Kona Blue received an investment infusion in 2004 from Thomas McCloskey, President and CEO of Cornerstone Holdings, in Aspen, Colorado, and other investors from the Mainland and Hawaii.
19 September, 2011 - Kona Blue Water Farms has dissolved.Kona Blue executive Michael Bullock have founded a new company, Kampachi Farms LLC, to lead the development of next-generation technologies for sustainable, responsible open ocean aquaculture.
4 June 2012 – Blue Ocean Mariculture today announced that it has completed its acquisition of the hatchery and offshore mariculture assets of Kona Blue Water Farms. This is the final step in Blue Ocean Mariculture’s transition to becoming the exclusive producer of premium, sashimi-grade Kampachi in Hawaii.