NEWS

Leading Maltese bream and bass producer goes for Oceanflex

P2M, the major Maltese sea bream and bass producer, is in the process of modernising its production sites with Oceanflex cages manufactured by Fusion Marine.

The company chose Oceanflex because of the cage system’s proven track record in treacherous sea conditions.  The P2M sites are very exposed to easterly and north easterly winds with a fetch in excess of 1,000 miles and it is therefore vital that the cage systems are able to withstand such extreme weather.

P2M has been a pioneer in the Maltese sea bream and bass industry, having first set up in 1991 with a target production of 1,000 tonnes from two cage sites. Over the 15 years of operation it has maintained its position as the lead producer of bream and bass in Malta, exporting virtually all of its produce to Italy.

The company had previously been using home-built cages made from rubber hoses purchased from the oil industry, but has now decided to undergo a major modernisation programme.

The first phase of replacing the cages on one of the sites has now been completed and the cages are reported to be performing extremely well.

Robert Aquilina, the managing director of P2M, said: “We were attracted to Oceanflex because we wanted a durable cage system that could withstand extremely rough sea conditions.

“Oceanflex cages meet all our requirements and we are confident they will play a major role in the continuing development of P2M as one of the Mediterranean’s leading bream and bass producers.”

Stephen Divers, Fusion Marine managing director, said: “Oceanflex is perfect for operating in exposed locations and we are delighted that P2M has recognised the benefits the cage system offers.”