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ONE of the UK's largest fish farms, which was facing financial difficulties, has been sold, saving over 30 jobs.
Selonda UK, part of a Greek-Saudi owned group, had been operating a modern sea-bass farm at a site near Beaumaris on Anglesey since 2002. But it ran into problems in October last year and the Welsh Government began moves to secure its future. It is thought that many of the problems were technology related.
The previous owners had received millions in pounds of grant aid from the Welsh government and European Union to set up the operation, which was the largest sea bass farm in the UK, producing around two million young fish - or around 1,000 tons - a year.
Roger Hale and Toby Underwood of business advisory firm PwC were appointed joint administrators last week and very soon agreed the sale of the business to a new company called Anglesey Aquaculture Limited. They said afterwards that they were pleased to have secured the business and the jobs of the 32 people who work at the fish farm. The new owners would provide a platform for growth, they added.
The previous owners were the Greek fish farming enterprise Selonda and a Saudi-based business called The Jazadco Development Company. Selonda, which is listed on the Athens Stock Exchange, was formed in 1981 and describes itself as a leading global producer and supplier of high quality farmed sea bream and sea bass, which it says is Europe's and North America's most popular Mediterranean fish. The group has a total annual production capacity of over 30,000 tons of Sea Bream and Sea Bass with operations in Greece, Turkey and Wales, employing 1,000 people. Jazadco describes itself as a Saudi development company specialising in fisheries, agriculture, industry and real estate.
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