Offshore Mariculture Conference 2012. 17-19 October 2012, Izmir-Turkey. Offshore Mariculture Conference 2012. 17-19 October 2012, Izmir-Turkey., İzmir, Turkey, 17 - 19 October 2012, pp.127-143
Growth of organic matter on marine farm systems creates a variety of challenges for fish farmers. Blockage of mesh blocks water flow, which decreases the oxygen content in the cage environment, causing lower feed intake, hence slower development of fish. A sanitary environment helps to reduce stress for fish due to fewer net changes and reduced labor for
cleaning. In the present study, copper-alloy nets were used in offshore type HDPE cages and investigations were made to search the durability and strength of copper-alloy nets under farm conditions. Growth performance and feed utilization experiments were conducted on Sea bass and Sea bream stocked into copper-alloy mesh deployed in a 2-bay grid in the Strait of Çanakkale, Turkey, for a period of 387 days.
Growth rates and average feed conversion ratios recorded during the growth experiment in the copper-alloy net cages were promising considering the rough weather conditions at the offshore test site.
Overall copper-alloy net material has demonstrated good performance in terms of its suitability for use in Aquaculture. During the course of the study, very limited biofouling was recorded and very limited net deformation was observed on the copper-alloy net material, presenting a promising alternative net material for the sustainability of cage aquaculture industry.