AKVA supplies 160m pens for Mowi on Harris

AKVA group has installed Mowi Scotland’s first 160m pen installation at Loch Seaforth on the Isle of Harris, and 10 pens are now secured on  site.

In addition to the 10x 160m pens AKVA supplied the sites with two new mooring grids, bird nets and fibreglass poles.  AKVA also delivered two HDPE nets in partnership with net maker Tufropes.

Don MacLeod Mowi Scotland Seaforth site manager commented: “The installation of 160 metre pens – the largest pens now used in Scotland – are important as we look to raise salmon at exposed locations that offer excellent growing conditions but also offer increasing weather challenges from storms. The installation of 160 metre net pens and other associated infrastructure supplied by AKVA group will significantly improve our containment systems and safety. The transfer of salmon into our Seaforth farm provided us a very short window of opportunity, so we are pleased to have worked alongside the experts at AKVA group to deliver and install the materials in time.”

Frank Byrne, AKVA group Scotland pens, nets and moorings manager, said: “We see this a great endorsement of AKVA group and our products, our Polarcirkel pens and moorings, along with the support and knowledge we offer locally. We worked very closely with Mowi to deliver on time to what was a very tight schedule’. This new cage infrastructure will be combined with the existing AKVA barge already in service on one of Mowi Scotland’s largest production sites.”

In February, the Scottish Salmon Company and Mowi agreed a site swap for their Harris operations. Ownership of SSC’s Trilleachan Mor site on Loch Seaforth, on the east of Harris, and its Scaladale shore base passed to Mowi. In return, SSC took over Mowi’s Scotasay and Raineach sites, further south on the islands, and the Mowi shore base at East Loch Tarbert.