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UPDATE
www.fusionmarine.com
Made in Scotland
New large sea
cage for Scottish
salmon industry
A new version of Fusion Marine’s
successful extra large Triton sea cage
has been developed for the Scottish and
Irish salmon farming industries.
The new Triton SL will provide the salmon
sector with an extremely durable large
circumference cage that has already been tried
and tested in a number of demanding offshore
environments around the world.
Triton has proved extremely successful for
offshore tuna farming, with the cages having
been used for a number of years in Chile, the
Mediterranean and Australia. Tuna farmers
have been attracted by their large holding
capacity combined with intrinsic strength
– the cages often having to be towed for
considerable distances across open seas.
Each cage is constructed from three
thick-walled 450mm polyethylene (PE)
pipes, designed to resist impact and reduce
distortion in stormy offshore conditions. The
excellent buoyancy and strength provides a
safe and stable working platform aided by the
heavy gauge handrails.
Available in circumferences of 100m or
greater, the Triton SL features an improved
anti-slip safety decking specially developed for
this new model of large cage. Handrails and
all other fittings are made from tough and
corrosion resistant PE. A key advantage of the
Triton SL design is its ability to accept a variety
of fittings and accessories, enabling operators
to rig cages to their own specifications.
The unique three-ring configuration of the
cages also ensures maximum stock biosecurity by significantly reducing risks on
exposed or open sea sites.
There has been a trend in the last year for
Scottish salmon farmers to opt for larger
cages, and according to Fusion Marine
managing director Stephen Divers, the Triton
SL is ideally suited for Scottish operations.
“We have learned over the last 10 years
through our investment and development
programme that PE is a much better
alternative to steel in cage systems,” he says.
“Fish farmers now realise that fully fitted
PE cages are ideal for extremely demanding
environments.
“These low maintenance cages are a great
cost-effective investment as they have no
corrosion or fatigue issues, show excellent
chemical resistance and are easily cleaned,” he
adds.
The Triton SL is also suitable for the farming
of fish such as cod, cobia and other species in
open sea environments.
Divers adds: “We believe the Triton SL has
huge potential for fish farming operations
from Shetland right down to the south-west
of Ireland.”
Fusion’s coastal manufacturing site at
Barcaldine in Argyll means that the cages can
be towed by sea straight to their final fish
farm locations, offering additional time and
cost savings.
Call us on +44 (0)1631 720 730 or visit www.fusionmarine.com
r
Summer 2008
Fusion Marine Update Summer 2008
New square cage design
Fusion Marine in conjunction with
Kames Fish Farming has designed a
new small square cage. Made entirely of
polyethylene and equipped with safety
decking, the cages are designed for use
in small inland reservoirs.
Kames has supplied wooden square cages to
water authorities for over 20 years and these
newly designed cages will be used as upgraded
replacements. Their toughness and durability
Investment by
Fusion Marine
brings safety boost
for fish farmers
Fusion Marine’s popular Aquaflex
250 range of fish farm cages for
trout and smolt farmers are now
available fully fitted with anti-slip
safety decking that complies with all
health and safety requirements.
The investment by Fusion Marine in a
new injection moulding tool also means
that the decking can be retro-fitted onto
existing cages.
Aquaflex is widely used by fish farmers
on freshwater and other sheltered sites
and several operators have already opted
to have the new decking fitted onto their
existing cages.
The self-draining modular plastic decking
is light and flexible and is secured onto
the 250mm polyethylene (PE) flotation
pipes by a specially developed mounting
system. Once installed, the decking
provides a convenient working platform
that enhances operator safety.
A similar safety decking system has
also been developed for Fusion Marine’s
extra large Triton fish farm cages designed
for rearing salmon and tuna in exposed
offshore conditions (see front page story).
Fusion Marine – aware of its
environmental responsibilities - is also
trialling the use of recycled plastic in the
manufacture of its safety decking, including
utilising material from redundant cages.
The company is working closely with a
number of fish farmers to ensure that as
much of their old cage units as possible
are fully recycled.
Stephen Divers, managing director, said:
“The safety decking is available for our full
cage range, including Oceanflex, Aquaflex
and Triton, and has been developed
through close consultation with the fish
farming industry. Fish farmers like the fact
that it can be retro-fitted onto existing
cages.”
makes them extremely cost effective.
Peter Richardson of Kames says PE forms
the ideal material for these cages because of
its flexibility and durability. They are ideal for
trout or smolt production, and the design
has even been used for sea bass farming in
Greece.
In the UK the main customers for this type
of cage have been water authorities and
fisheries in England and Wales.
Leading the way in Malta
Fusion Marine has been playing a
key role in the resurgence of bream
farming in Malta.
Between 1991 and 1996 the production of
sea bass and sea bream soared from zero to
well over 4,000 tonnes per annum. However,
because Malta was not then a member of
the EU, fish imported into the main market
of Italy were subject to a 15% levy, which
put paid to any further development of the
sector.
Fortuitously many Maltese fish farmers
diversified into tuna penning for the lucrative
Japanese sushi and sashimi markets. Fusion
Marine’s technology played an instrumental
part in this exciting development first with
their 150m Oceanflex cages being snapped
up in Malta, Turkey, Libya and Greece, and
then with the Triton cages which were
acclaimed by the industry as the perfect tuna
cage both for towing and for farming.
But tuna farming is dependent on wild
stocks and this will limit further expansion in
this sector. As a result there is an increasing
trend by Maltese farms to diversify back into
bream production.
Anton Borg of P2M with Carmelo Agius
Carmelo Agius, Fusion Marine aquaculture
consultant, says: “Once again Fusion Marine is
playing a key role in the resurgence of bream
production as in the last few years three of
the farms have expanded or upgraded their
sea bream production operations with Fusion
technology - mostly the Oceanflex cage
system. This trend is likely to continue as
more farms seek to diversify their production
and move away from total reliance on tuna
production and perhaps start to consider
other species such as amberjack.”
‘Hamster wheel’ bird net
support gains plaudits
An innovative new heavy duty bird net
support system developed by Fusion
Marine for salmon farm cages is proving
popular with some of Scotland’s leading
fish farming companies.
Dubbed by Fusion Marine as the ‘hamster
wheel’ because of its shape, the system offers
several advantages over conventional tripod
bird net supports.
The broad diameter of the ‘hamster wheel’
provides improved support for protective
anti-predator netting by holding the shape
better and preventing any sagging towards
the water’s surface, which is particularly
important in rough weather.
It is also very robust, offering much less
movement than traditional bird net supports.
Its broad circumference also means there is
less abrasion to the net.
The Scottish Sea Farms Kishorn site has
been trialling a hamster wheel on one of its
cages, and site manager Graham Smith says he
has been pleased with its performance.
“The new design is excellent and is ideal
for exposed sites,” he says. “It provides good
support for the net in a much improved shape
and is a system I would like to see installed
on all of our cages.”
Call us on +44 (0)1631 720 730 or visit www.fusionmarine.com
Fusion Marine Update Summer 2008
Liam joins
team to develop
recycled plastics
Rob Landman and Stephen Divers on cages at Port
Elizabeth. Inset: cages being made ready for one of
the freshwater sites
New S. African venture
Fusion Marine has forged a new
partnership with Stellenbosch
University to supply fish farm cage
kits, ancillary equipment and support
services for a series of aquaculture pilot
projects in South Africa.
The University’s Division of Aquaculture
has been contracted by the South African
Government’s Departments of Science and
Technology (DST), Water Affairs and Forestry,
and Agriculture to implement and manage a
range of aquaculture projects that will aid in
the sustainable development of the country’s
fish farming sector.
The programme aims to establish 50-tonne
trout and tilapia pilot projects on seven
state owned dams. If successful, the pilot
projects will be upscaled to 250-500 tonne
production units after three years.
In addition to the freshwater projects, a
marine finfish pilot project is also currently
being undertaken in the Eastern Cape
Province. This project is a joint collaboration
between DST, the Division of Aquaculture
and the Irvin & Johnson Group and focuses
on the grow-out of kob and yellowtail.
Recognising Fusion Marine’s international
reputation for aquaculture supply and
development, Stellenbosch University
approached the company to support these
important projects. Agreement was quickly
reached, and to date, Fusion Marine has
supplied around 20 Aquaflex and Oceanflex
fish farm cages, along with onsite engineering
support. More cages will be delivered as the
projects progress. The cages are supplied in
kit form, with the flotation pipes and cage
nets all sourced locally.
Prof. Danie Brink, head of the Division
of Aquaculture of Stellenbosch University
said: “The South African Department of
Science and Technology currently operates
a number of focused portfolios that support
interventions with social impact objectives.
Key amongst these is the Technology for
Social Impact Sub-programme that through
its Sustainable Livelihoods (Aquaculture)
initiative supports the transfer of technology
to exploit local resources with the aim of
contributing to poverty reduction and job
creation in South Africa.
“It is thanks to this initiative that we have
been able to engage an established and
reputable supplier such as Fusion Marine.”
To date the Fusion Marine cages have
withstood severe culture conditions on
some sites, including waves in excess of three
metres and winds in excess of 70 km/h.
Faroese go
for Fusion
Retro-fit for
Migdale
Faroese fish farming operator
Vestlax has been equipping its
salmon cages with sinker tubes and
‘hamster wheel’ bird net supports
manufactured by Fusion Marine.
The Faroes feature some of the
harshest conditions around when it
comes to fish farming, and Vestlax is
reported to be impressed by the tough
design of Fusion Marine equipment.
Fusion Marine is currently retrofitting its safety decking onto smolt
cages operated by Migdale Smolt in
Loch Shin.
Sixteen cages have been completed
so far, with the installation being timed
so as to fit around the very busy smolt
production unit’s operation.
The installlation underlines Migdale
Smolt’s commitment to the safety of its
personnel.
Liam Griffin has been appointed by
Fusion Marine as project manager
for its recycled plastics division.
The appointment marks a major push
by Fusion Marine to expand sales in the
sector through its range of recycled
plastic products that are suitable for
a wide variety of different outdoor
applications, including walkways, fences,
picnic tables and pontoons.
Recycled plastic is an environmentally
friendly and cost effective alternative
to wood and Fusion Marine sees good
potential for market growth, particularly
in the outdoor recreational sector.
Stephen Divers, managing director, said:
“We are delighted that Liam has joined
the team. His first task will be to develop
sustainable strategies for both the short
and long term, and then help develop
these into a business plan.”
Liam said: “I have tremendous
enthusiasm for the potential of recycled
plastic for producing a whole range
of environmentally friendly outdoor
equipment. I am confident that there is
real scope for expansion in the sector.”
Liam Griffin - Tremendous potential in market for
recycled plastic products
Going green
Last year Fusion Marine recycled
over 250 tonnes of polyethylene
from old fish farm cages and waste
pipes, working with farm companies
– principally Lighthouse Caledonia
– to clear redundant or obsolete
plastic from their sites.
The materials are processed into a
number of recycled products including
safety decking for fish farm cages.
Stephen Divers, Fusion Marine
managing director said: “Fish farm
companies have responded well to avoid
unwanted equipment finding its way to
landfill sites or lying around the edges of
lochs.”
Call us on +44 (0)1631 720 730 or visit www.fusionmarine.com
Fusion Marine Update Summer 2008
Boardwalk
for Shetland
Fusion Marine is currently working
on a project to supply a boardwalk
made of recycled plastic for a nature
reserve in Shetland.
Hermaness National Nature Reserve
is located on Unst, Shetland - the most
northerly part of the British Isles. The
NNR is home to literally thousands of
pairs of breeding birds including the
famous bonxies or great skuas and also
provides a habitat for red throated divers,
snipe, dunlin, golden plover and arctic skua.
The reserve contains areas of blanket bog,
an increasingly threatened habitat globally.
Unfortunately the impact of foot traffic
on the reserve has caused a certain
amount of erosion to the paths that
allow visitors to access the site. The bog
surface is fragile and highly susceptible to
trampling with damage to the path in some
places up to 4m wide. Also the dryer
areas of the path are starting to get wider
and produce well defined erosion scars. In
response to this growing problem, Scottish
Natural Heritage commissioned Upland
Contracts Ltd to construct a walkway
across the reserve, with a clear aim - to
enhance and protect this extraordinary
habitat.
Working closely with Fusion Marine who
are supplying the materials, over 5,000
decking boards and 1500 rails are being
used in the construction of the boardwalk
across the delicate bog surface.
Using recycled plastic is considered to
be a highly sustainable solution for this
project; not only does prefabricating
off-site minimise disturbance and damage
to the site during works, but there is no
chance that the delicate ph of the bog is
affected by importing aggregate materials.
All the fixings used in the project are
stainless steel and this coupled with the
excellent Hahn product supplied by Fusion
Marine will ensure that the boardwalk has
a very long service life.
Boyd Henderson off Upland Contracts
said: “This contract has been an excellent
example of how a supplier’s ongoing
input into a project can greatly increase
the efficiency of site work and the end
product.”
The Golden Plover is one of the birds that will
benefit from the project
Diversification into recycled plastics
brings new opportunities for growth
Picnic tables and other outdoor
equipment made from environmentally
friendly recycled plastic are a key
component of Fusion Marine’s new
plastics division.
Already Fusion Plastics has supplied a
number of picnic tables to caravan sites as
well as other equipment such as walkways for
nature reserves. The range offered can also
be used in the marine environment, including
mooring pontoons and jetties.
In the last year alone, British Waterways
has taken delivery of 20 picnic tables from
Fusion Plastics for use along the banks of the
Caledonian Canal as a vital amenity resource
for walkers and sailors. Many of the tables
have been installed at Dochgarroch just south
of Inverness to replace existing wooden ones
that have become damaged or worn out.
Liam Griffin, the recently appointed project
manager, said: “Recycled plastic is economic,
aesthetic and environmentally sound. It
is tough and durable, highly resistant to
chemicals and maintenance free, which means
that no painting is required,” he says. “The
material is also rot-proof and non toxic.”
Triton pontoons for Loch Katrine
Fusion Marine has received an order
from Steamship Sir Walter Scott for
two new pontoon systems for Loch
Katrine.
Two years ago Fusion had installed a 24m
pontoon for the company manufactured
from 315mm flotation pipe. The company
was so impressed with the versatility of
the pontoon that it was later extended by
Fusion Marine by a further 13.5m.
For the new order, Fusion has designed
two bespoke Triton 450 pontoons at 15m
and 30m respectively. The larger size of
piping will offer a greater freeboard and
the new pontoons will provide Steamship
Sir Walter Scott enhanced berthing
facilities on the loch for its fleet of pleasure
cruise boats.
Hotel attracts new business following
installation of lochside pontoon
A number of businesses have been
using pontoons manufactured by
Fusion Plastics with great success and
as a means of increasing turnover.
For example, a leading West Highland
hotel has been being enjoying an upsurge
in business following the installation of a
lochside pontoon to attract visiting yachts
and other pleasure craft.
The Letterfinlay Lodge Hotel on the banks
of Loch Lochy near Spean Bridge is using the
new pontoon as a stopover point for craft
passing through the Caledonian Canal.
The 24m long pontoon is made from
environmentally friendly recycled plastic and
tough polyethylene.
According to Ian Smith of the Letterfinlay
Hotel, the pontoon has the capacity to handle
several vessels at a time and has proved a
real boon in attracting new customers to the
hotel.
“Just two hours after it had been installed
we had a 10-berth cruiser come alongside
with the crew coming into the hotel to enjoy
refreshments and fine dining,” he says.
“We’ve had many more vessels since then.
This pontoon is only the first stage of our
plans to provide a convenient stopover point
for vessels using the Caledonian Canal.”
Call us on +44 (0)1631 720 730 or visit www.fusionmarine.com