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Net Pens and Cages

Net pens and cages are types of aquaculture systems that enclose organisms while allowing free exchange of water. A cage is fully enclosed on all sides by netting, while a net pen only has the bottom enclosed by the lake or sea floor. Both methods allow free exchange of waste, chemicals, parasites, and diseases with the surrounding environment and carry risks of escape. Cages come in various shapes and sizes and are used worldwide to farm fish in bodies of water. They provide growth opportunities but also risks like disease spread and environmental impacts. Net pens are fixed enclosures made of poles and netting that are less intensive but also have disadvantages like high costs and potential impacts on natural fish populations.

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255 views

Net Pens and Cages

Net pens and cages are types of aquaculture systems that enclose organisms while allowing free exchange of water. A cage is fully enclosed on all sides by netting, while a net pen only has the bottom enclosed by the lake or sea floor. Both methods allow free exchange of waste, chemicals, parasites, and diseases with the surrounding environment and carry risks of escape. Cages come in various shapes and sizes and are used worldwide to farm fish in bodies of water. They provide growth opportunities but also risks like disease spread and environmental impacts. Net pens are fixed enclosures made of poles and netting that are less intensive but also have disadvantages like high costs and potential impacts on natural fish populations.

Uploaded by

Daisy Luminario
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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NET PENS AND CAGES

Net Pens and Cages are types of enclosing system which hold organism’s captive
within an enclosed space while maintaining a free exchange of water. The two methods,
however, are distinct from one another. A cage is totally enclosed on all, or all but the top, sides
by mesh or netting, while in net pen the bottom of the enclosure is formed by the lake or sea
bottom. Structural differences have little effect on production practices or the environmental
impact of these systems
Net pens and cages are considered a “high-risk” aquaculture method, since they allow
for free exchange between the farm and the surrounding environment. Salmon are typically
farmed this way. Net pens and cages allow free exchange of waste, chemicals, parasites and
disease. There is also the potential for farmed fish to escape. Farms can also attract predators,
such as marine mammals, that can get tangled in fish farm nets and drown.

CAGE
Cage aquaculture involves the growing of fishes in existing water resources while being
enclosed in a net cage which allows free flow of water. It is an aquaculture production system
made of a floating frame, net materials, and mooring system (with rope, buoy, anchor etc.) with
a round or square shape floating net to hold and culture large number of fishes and can be
installed in reservoir, river, lake or sea.
Types of Cages

1. Floating cage
It is convenient to use in water bodies where depth of the water is more than 5m.
2. Fixed cage: This cage type is convenient for water bodies where depth of water is less
than 5m.
Shapes of Cages
1. Rectangular (most convenient)
2. Square
3. Round

ADVANTAGES

 Many types of water resources can be used, including lakes, reservoirs, ponds,
strip pits, streams and rivers which could otherwise not be harvested.
 A relatively low initial investment is required in an existing body of water.
 Harvesting is simplified.
 Observation and sampling of fish is simplified.
 Allows the use of the pond for sport fishing or the culture of other species.
 Less manpower requirement.
 Generation of job opportunities for unemployed youth and women.
 Additional income to fishers during closed seasons

DISADVANTAGES

 Feed must be nutritionally complete and kept fresh.


 Low Dissolved Oxygen Syndrome (LODOS) is an ever-present problem and may
require mechanical aeration.
 Fouling of net cage.
 The incidence of disease can be high, and diseases may spread rapidly.
 Vandalism or poaching is a potential problem.
 Navigation issues.
 Accumulation of unused feed and excreta will lead to water pollution as well as
eutrophication.
 Change in water quality parameters.
 Conflicts within the local community.
 Predation by aquatic mammals and birds.
 Escapement.
 Overcrowding of aquatic organisms in cages.

NET PENS

Pen is a fixed enclosed in open water body made of either bamboo or wooden
poles and nets which allow interaction with immediate environment and prevent entry of
undesirable animals and fish that may harm the fish stocked.

In the construction of fish pen the following need to be considered:

Location

Pens are located in marginal or near offshore areas of large body of water or
sometimes in large ponds. This method is considered eco-friendly as it does not pollute
the environment.

Construction

Bamboo or wooden poles planted into a lakebed or shoreline bottom form the
pen frame. Nets strung from pole to pole and weighted using lead or large stones
attached to the nets are fixed into the lake bottom to form the enclosure into which dish
are placed.

ADVANTAGES

• Commercial fish grown in pens in fertile lakes generally have very good growth rates.

• This method is also successful in unproductive water when supplementary feeding is


provided
• It considered eco-friendly method of fish culture as it does not pollute the environment.

• Little maintenance, except for care of netting, is required

DISADVANTAGES

• Setup costs can be expensive as nets must be made of nylon or plastic to avoid rot
and water logging.

• Net Pens have short lifespan ranging from 3 – 5 years, thereby requiring periodic
replacement.

• Because net pens are often set up in shallow water where fish spawn, they sometimes
reduce natural production in some lakes.

https://www.seachoice.org/info-centre/aquaculture/aquaculture-methods/

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