Successful sea delivery of fish farm cages for salmon farm on Loch Fyne

A major sea tow of 10 fish farm cages – Fusion Marine’s biggest to date –  has been successfully completed for major salmon farming company Lighthouse Caledonia.

The Oceanflex cages were towed line astern from Fusion Marine’s manufacturing base at Barcaldine near Oban to Lighthouse Caledonia’s salmon farm operation at Strondoir Bay in Loch Fyne, south of Ardrishaig.

The combined length of the cages towed on the three-day trip was over half a kilometre, and according to Tony Radcliffe of North West Marine, whose boat Headcorn was contracted for the voyage, everything went extremely well.

“The weather was flat calm and it was a very smooth trip,” he said.

The sea cages are equipped with Fusion Marine 30m circumference ‘hamster wheel’ bird net supports and anti-slip safety decking.

Iain MacIntyre, Regional Manager South for Lighthouse Caledonia, said that cage deliveries by sea offered major advantages over other forms of transport.

“It means we don’t have to find a building area near the fish farm site to construct the cages, which obviously is much more convenient and cost effective for us,” he said.

Iain Forbes of Fusion Marine said: “In all probability there has not been a tow of such magnitude undertaken in this country and it shows what can be achieved with proper planning and communications.

“The coastal location of our manufacturing base makes us strategically based to deliver marine fish farm cages anywhere on the West Coast of Scotland and even make the tow to the northern isles.”