Swansea prawn farmer expands into Belgium
Three-Sixty Aquaculture targets 100 tonnes a year at Ostend site
UK land-based warm water prawn grower Three-Sixty Aquaculture is expanding into mainland Europe with the construction of a new indoor prawn farm in Ostend, Belgium.
Swansea-based Three-Sixty said the move has been made possible by support from Marifish.Inc, a Belgian incubator for emerging fisheries and aquaculture businesses.
Developed using Three‑Sixty Aquaculture’s proprietary clearwater recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) - designed, engineered and trialled in Swansea - the Ostend site brings UK aquaculture innovation directly into one of Europe’s largest seafood markets. With council approvals secured, installation is currently under way.
In an interview with regional broadcaster WTV, Filip Cauwels of Three-Sixty Aquaculture Ostend said: “We installed the large tank in November. Diameter 15 metres and height 3.60m. We are also building the rooms: the lab, the staircase, and the entrance. And behind us, you can also see the concrete pedestals for the filter system.”
He added: “In the production hall, we are aiming for 30 tonnes in the first phase, and for phase two, which starts at the end of this year, that will go up to 100 tonnes. That is gigantic. That is really big when you compare it to the aquaculture world.”
According to WTV, water will be added to the tanks by June, and the first Ostend prawns could be harvested as early as October.
Three-Sixty Aquaculture requires fresh sea water for the project. This is provided in the Marifish aquaculture platform located in the Ostend fish market buildings.
The Ostend facility will provide fresh, premium, head‑on, shell‑on prawns to retailers and wholesalers across the continent, offering an alternative to long‑haul imports.
Three-Sixty Aquaculture said a new partnership with the Flemish Fish Auction - one of Belgium’s most established distribution hubs - will give it direct access to major European buyers, strengthening the company’s commercial reach for its prawns.
James Fox‑Davies, chief executive of Three‑Sixty Aquaculture, said: “Taking our UK‑developed technology into mainland Europe is a pivotal moment for the business. This expansion proves that British aquaculture innovation can scale internationally, delivering fresher, more sustainable seafood. Our partnership with the Flemish Fish Auction gives us a strong commercial platform across Europe and reinforces the credibility of the systems we’ve built here in Swansea.”
The expansion is part of the company’s long‑term growth strategy of exporting British expertise and setting new standards globally in responsible, proximity‑to‑market seafood production.
The company’s RAS, devised with input from Swansea University’s robotics and engineering departments, is a clearwater system that continuously cleans and recycles water using mechanical and biological filtration, advanced disease control measures, biosecurity protocols, and UV disinfection. The technology is modular, scalable and can be deployed anywhere in the world.
