Fish farm operators in the Mediterranean are showing great interest in a new tuna cage design from Scottish-based Fusion Marine Ltd, which is based on the company''s highly successful Oceanflex system.
Last year Fusion Marine delivered a cage order to an eastern Mediterranean fish farm business and is currently in discussions with a several Mediterranean tuna farms to supply turnkey cage projects.
The systems delivered so far are based on the Oceanflex design with 90m circumference cages being normally used for the capture and transportation of the tuna, and 150m circumference cages for holding and fattening the fish.
To meet the specific client demands for this new type of emerging fish farming, the company has recently made a significant investment into a new, bigger cage bracket aimed at the expanding tuna markets around the world. This new development will be launched at 'Aquaculture International 2002' to be held in Glasgow this April.
Fusion Marine International Aquaculture consultant, Carmelo Agius, says tuna farming is expanding rapidly in the Mediterranean and the challenge was to develop a cage system that could handle the special and difficult requirements of tuna culture.
'Fusion Marine is adapting existing technology and in-house knowledge to compete effectively in this emerging market. Cage, net and mooring technology all require upgrading and modifications to meet this challenge,' he says.
'The practice of towing cages over long distances of exposed waters and loaded with multimillion dollars worth of tuna stocks provides the ultimate test in this highly complicated aquaculture activity.'
The durability of Fusion Marine cages has been amply proven in recent years. Fusion cages deployed in very exposed waters in several countries such as in Malta and Libya have weathered severe storms with no damage being suffered. At the same time many farmers using other cage types have suffered heavy losses particularly earlier this winter when storms hit both the western and eastern basin of the Mediterranean.
Carmelo Agius says: 'Our clients are very satisfied with the performance of the Oceanflex as it guarantees stock safety. They are also convinced that the cage is a much easier one to work on and virtually maintenance-free.'
Meanwhile, Fusion Marine has also moved to create a new joint venture company in Malaysia that will act as a springboard for expansion into the rapidly expanding Far Eastern Aquaculture industry. Enquiries for installing tuna cage projects in Indonesia and neighbouring countries are currently being assessed.
The new company, AWT Fusion Marine Sdn Bhd, has been created through a joint venture arrangement between Fusion Marine and AWT Fusion -- a Malaysian based subsidiary of the Fusion Group of companies, which specialises in the manufacture of pipes and fittings for the utility industries.
As well as manufacturing robust polyethylene fish farm cages along similar lines to the already successful Aquaflex and Oceanflex models, which are widely used in North Atlantic and Mediterranean waters, AWT Fusion Marine Sdn Bhd is also currently developing a simple low-cost cage for use in sheltered conditions.
A key element of the joint venture project will be the supply from Fusion Marine of expert management to operators setting up fish farms for the first time in the Far East. These contract managers will be able to get the new farms up and running and train staff in all aspects of aquaculture management.
And in a separate development, the new company also intends to set up a fully equipped fish hatchery in Malaysia for the supply of juvenile fish for on growing. The principle fish involved at this stage will be Asian sea bass, but there are good opportunities in a range of other species including grouper.
