A fish farm well over the size of a football pitch is being proposed on an offshore site at the limits of Malta's territorial waters, 22km south of the town of Marsaxlokk.
According to an article recently published by MaltaToday, the proposal for a 'fish rearing open sea facility' on a 9,954sq.m offshore site is being constructed by Seaculture Ltd.
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| FAO Fishery Country Profile - MALTA |
The system comprises an assembly of aquaculture cages, with vertical cavities for the corresponding columns of the platform.
The technology was presented as a solution to rough sea conditions through a flexible fish cage system for open sea aquaculture, so the cages can be lowered at rough sea, thus avoiding damage to the fish. During calm sea periods, cages may be placed in shallower waters.
Maintenance facilities would comprise a computerised centre for monitoring cages, manage and control the feeding process, detect signs of diseases, and allow the crew to continuously supervise the aquaculture.
Open sea aquaculture has the advantage of being located further away from the coast than near-to-shore farms, having less of an impact on coastal areas.
But concerns have been expressed in scientific literature with regards to the escape of fish, water pollution from uneaten feed and waste products, and the possible spread of water-borne disease from cultured to wild fish.
Transport Malta is objecting to the proposed location, as the area chosen has a high shipping traffic density, adding that such proposals should be made in sites with less maritime traffic.
The concessions will be awarded through a three-stage procedure: starting with a pre-qualification questionnaire, followed by a shortlisting of companies who would be invited to participate in a next stage of dialogue meetings with each shortlisted company.
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The Aquaculturists
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