NEWS

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 bio-security 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 says.

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.