Net pens have been moored individually or within a group, frequently referred to as a flotilla. Moorings are required to keep the cages in a fixed position and to reduce the transfer of excessive forces generated by wind, currents and waves to cages. The mooring system for a fish farm consists primarily of chains, ropes, floats and anchors, and in addition, several smaller components like shackles, connection plates, rings etc. Mooring net pens individually is achieved by using 3-4 mooring lines that connect the surface collar to the seabed. However, the most common mooring strategy is to use a submerged grid system, with anchor lines arranged in a catenary shape to secure a group of net pens on a site lease.

1.Anchors: Different types of anchors are suited to various types of seabed. Our supplied Double Fluke Stingray Anchors are used for sandy, medium clay and silt bottoms. It is the most commonly used anchors in farm mooring.

2.Ground Chain: The ground chain, connecting the anchor and the mooring rope is primarily used to provide weight to the mooring line, in order to keep the angle between seafloor and the mooring line within the desired range, between 9° and 12°.

3.Ropes spliced with thimbles: Ropes are the main components of the mooring system, and are used for both the mooring lines and grid system lines. Thimbles are generally made of hot-dip galvanized steel, and are used to reinforce the rope loop (eye splice) where it is connected to metal equipment (shackles, rings, etc.), and thus where it is subjected to heavy abrasion. Thimbles can markedly reduce wear on the rope. Thimbles used for moorings are usually tube type and open type.

4.Shackles: Shackles are used to connect mooring ropes, chains and anchors. The SWL is usually used to identify the size of shackles. Shackles can be D Type and Omega Type. Omega shaped shackles are the most common used, because they can accommodate a greater number of connections.

5.Central Connection Plate: Mooring plates are the main connecting points of the whole grid structure where all components come together and are locked with shackles: the grid system, the mooring lines, the buoy chains and the cage bridles. Plates are usually round shaped, with sufficient holes for the shackle pins to be inserted. 

6.Buoys: For the fish farm mooring buoys, the outer material is often rotationally moulded polyethylene, and the filling is usually polyurethane foam or polystyrene foam, a steel bar(about 30–40 mm thickness) runs through the main buoy body to connect the two opposite attachment rings and add strength. The buoyancy in kilograms of a buoy is equivalent to the volume of the buoy minus its weight in kilograms.