Archive for the ‘Growout’ Category


New Open Ocean Aquaculture Cage Design

Open Water Systems Ltd. has spent the last 5 years designing,testing and patenting a 50′ X 50′ X 36′  2500 cubic meter steel submersible cage for the aquaculture industry.  The new cage, designed by a fish farmer with 12 years experience, was carefully planned to provide a reliable rugged rearing unit that was both fish and farmer friendly.  The cage can be operated at surface in the same fashion as traditional surface cages allowing purse seine harvesting, stock inventory and inspection WITHOUT the need of diving.  The cube design allows the entire net to be secured from top to bottom providing a consistant rearing volume in high current and when towing.  The upper hinged walkway is repeated at the base of the four 36′ deep spars allowing the continuous netting attachment points.  The rubber insert torsion hinge design absorbs any movements between the spars and walkways minimizing metal fatigue.  The lack of horizontal plannes allows wave energy to pass through the structure minimizing the forces on the structure.
The Fish and Farmer Friendly Submersible Cage (Source: Open Water Systems Inc.)

The Fish and Farmer Friendly Submersible Cage (Source: Open Water Systems Ltd.)

Other advantages include:

1.) A bouyancy control system that allows a fully controlled ascend and descend through the water column.  The cage can be suspended at any depth in the water column in any depth of water.

2.) Top portion of cage can be raised 14′ to allow net inspection and cleaning.

3.) Cage cube allows various net designs and configurations.

4.) Capable of larger rearing volumes at reduced cost/cubic meter.

5.) Full scale open water tested in 5 meter seas.

Open Water Systems Ltd. is currently seeking companies  or individuals that are interested in using this cage in real production conditions.  The cage can be seen at www.openwatersystems.com.  We can be contacted @ 705 377 4044 or by email @ jefftuerk@hotmail.com.  The full size cage can be dismantled and container shipped worldwide.


Comparison of aquaculture cages

There are a number of blogs on the finfish site regarding different aquaculture cage technologies. However, there was little information in the way of a comparison between the different technologies. I came across a presentation which provides some insight. The presentation provides an interesting comparison of some aquaculture cage products commonly used in North America. The aquaculture cages compared are:

 

  • SeaStation by OceanSpar, USA
  • Aquapod by Ocean Farm Technologies, USA
  • OceanGlobe by Byks ASNorway
  • Ocean Drifter by MIT Sea GrantUSA

The presentation also considers some information on the economic viability of open ocean aquaculture of a number of important fish species. Finally, the economics of nearshore versus offshore aquaculture is considered.


All our problems may be solved

Interesting article out in the last couple of days from Asia

Some 200 entrepreneurs will be picked as mentees for Global Hi-Q and will each receive MARA loans of RM300,000,”  15 participants would be given ten to twenty ponds and that Global Hi-Q would not only act as technical assistant but would also help market the fish to Japan, Taiwan and China.

Global Hi-Q executive chairman Mohd Nasir Mohd Rashid said he was confident that the project would give lucractive returns due to the high demand for marine fish.

“We expect the entrepreneurs to settle the MARA loans in four years as they will enjoy their fruits of labour six months after the fry were bred,” he said. Mohd Nasir said biotech aquaculture fish had a ready market as Global Hi-Q had received regular orders from food producers and restaurants in Taiwan, Japan, China and Hong Kong.


It is great to see that innovative entrepreneurs are being given opportunities within their industries to utilise their knowledge that they have gained throughout the educational studies and perhaps maybe we could borrow their services in the near future to investigate our proposal


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