AKVA secures new turn-key fish farms contract

AKVA group is now well underway to meeting its objective of becoming a true turn-key aquaculture supplier after securing a new EUR6.8 million (US$9.08 million) contract for delivery of three complete turn-key fish farms to Cromaris in Croatia.

Cromaris is the leading Croatian mariculture company and is a part of the Adris Group corporation. The company has recently entered into the aquaculture business by acquiring four local sea bass and sea bream farms with 30 year experience in mariculture, along the Croatian coast.

Cromaris production director, Kresimir Peros, said, "Our strategy is to build up a professional and competitive aquaculture business in Croatia and to become one of the largest producers of Sea Bass and Sea Bream in the Mediterranean. In order to succeed, we need to invest in proven high quality technology and achieve similar scale of economics to the salmon industry."

AKVA chief marketing officer Trond Severinsen said, "We see a clear trend towards turn-key deliveries both in our export markets and the salmon industry. This allows farming companies and technology suppliers to focus on core business."

The deliveries to Cromaris will take place in 2010 and 2011, and includes large Polarcirkel cages, nets, net washers, moorings, Wavemaster AM320 feed barges with integrated feed-, camera- and environmental sensor systems.