UK-based marine consultant enters Chinese offshore aquaculture partnership
A global consultancy that helped Norwegian salmon farmer SalMar transport Ocean Farm 1 from China to Europe is becoming more involved in offshore aquaculture.
London-headquartered marine, engineering and adjustment consultancy AqualisBraemar has entered into an agreement with the East China Sea Fisheries Research Institute, Chinese Academy of Fishery Sciences (ECSFRI-CAFS) regarding the research and development of offshore aquaculture concepts and solutions.
The memorandum of understanding has been signed to foster international cooperation to jointly research and collaboratively develop equipment / engineering and relevant technologies that enhance the development of offshore aquaculture.
Engineering support
The scope of cooperation includes the research and development of equipment, engineering, fish farming and interrelated technologies relevant to offshore aquaculture.
AqualisBraemar, part of the AqualisBraemar LOC Group, has 67 offices across 39 locations in Europe, Africa, Americas, Middle East, Asia, and Australia and has been present in China since 2004.
The company has been involved with Nordlaks’ ground-breaking 385 metre-long Havfarm 1 and SalMar’s Ocean Farm 1 offshore salmon farm projects, both built in China.
AqualisBraemar provided load master and engineering support for Ocean Farm 1 loadout and transportation. Its subsidiary company LOC provided marine warranty services in connection with the Havfarm project.
Relevant competence
“As the international aquaculture industry is looking to extend further offshore to develop and operate closed cage fish farms, our specialist marine and offshore engineering competence becomes more and more relevant for this industry,” said Reuben Segal, chief operating officer of AqualisBraemar LOC.
“Partnering with a renowned research institute such as the ECSFRI-CAFS is a natural next step in our efforts to support the industrialisation and sustainability efforts of the aquaculture sector.”
“The world’s rapidly growing population needs more proteins, and fish and seafood can provide this. To achieve this objective, the aquaculture sector must become even more sustainable, from a cost, environmental and fish health perspective. Our partnership with AqualisBraemar LOC will seek to solve some of these issues,” said Wang Lumin, vice president of ECSFRI-CAFS.
