DEFINATION:
A cage represents a delineated volume in the body of water where the
aquatic organisms can be farmed.
OR
A cage is enclosed on all sides with mesh netting made from synthetic
material that can resist decomposition in water for a long period of time
Originated almost 200 yrs ago in Cambodia
Cages are generally small, ranging in freshwater reservoirs from 1 m
2
to
500 m
2.
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Cage can be used for:
a. Grow out cultures
b. Larval rearing systems
c. Brood stock development
d. Fattening systems
e. Holdings for live catches
f. Aqua ranching
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Originated in Cambodia- catfishes; modern-
Japan, yellow tail
Sea cages farming : Norway, Chile, Japan
India 2007 along Vishakapattanam with Asian
seabass (CMFRI)
Followed by grey mullet, pearl spot, shrimps,
crabs, lobsters, cobia and pampano
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Cages
Fixed
Floating
Non rotating
Rotating
Submersible
Flexible
Rigid
Submerged
Beveridge (1996)
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Fixed cages: attached to pilings driven in the substratum
depth: 1-3m
Floating cages: floats allow cages to rise and fall with
fluctuating water currents
depth: 2-5 m
Submersible cages: cage can be lowered when cyclone
or typhoon threatens
Submerged cages: cages are fixed at 2-5 m beneath, the
fish are fed via feeding tube. During storm, the tube is
tied shut and cage is submerged to a depth of 15m
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Another classification of sea cages divides
them into two categories depending on the
nature of the bag that makes up the cage:
1. it may be an open bag of net, or
2. a closed bag of plastic.
A closed bag will normally require water to
be pumped into it, and there is an outlet pipe
from the bag.
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Open offshore cages can be classified as follows:
1. Class 1 Gravity cages that rely on buoyancy and weight to hold
their shape and volume against environmental forces .
2. Class 2 Anchor tension cages that rely on the anchor tension to
keep their shape and volume
3. Class 3 Self-supporting cages that rely on a combination of
compression in rigid elements and tension in flexible elements to
keep the net in position so the shape and volume are maintained
4. Class 4 Rigid self-supporting cages that rely on rigid constructions
such as beams and joints to keep their shape and volume.
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COMPONENT OF OPEN CAGE
A traditional open cage comprises the following main parts:
1. Net bag with weights in the bottom to spread the bag
2. A jumping net above the surface fixed to the net bag to prevent fish
escaping
3. Cage collar for spreading out the net bag and give buoyancy to keep the
bag in the correct position in the water column
4. Mooring system.
5. weights to stretch out the net bag at the bottom and to stabilize it in the
water column.
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Major components in a traditional open sea cage farm.
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COLLAR or FRAMEWORK
Three different methods may be used to construct the framework/collar
for a sea cage:
1. Stiff framework: The framework does not follow the wave movements.
2. Framework with movable joints: The framework will to some extent
follow the wave movements.
3. Flexible framework: The framework is quite flexible and will follow the
wave movements well. These include frames made of plastic (for
example, polyethylene, PE) which are flexible to some degree and those
made of rubber (for example, ocean cages).
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Different methods of construction for
frameworks of traditional surface sea cages.
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Functions of collar
The collar or framework may have several functions:-
It helps to support the cage safely in the water column,
It helps to maintain the shape of the net bag,
It may help with buoyancy and
It may serve as a work platform.
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Weighting and stretching
Weights on the bottom of the net bag are
used to keep the net bag down, and to
maintain as much effective volume as possible
for the fish.
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Net bags
Net bags can be constructed in different ways and with different materials.
In the past materials such as cotton and flax were used. These materials
get heavy in water and their strength is rapidly reduced.
Today synthetic plastic materials, such as polyamide (PA; nylon)
predominate. This material is cheap, strong and not too stiff to work with.
PE can also be used.
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Nylon used for nets is made as a multifilament consisting of several
thin threads spun together to make a thicker one.
The advantage with multifilament is that the thread is easy to
bend, easy to work with, tolerates more loads and is more resistant
to chafing.
Nets are either knotted or knotless.
The normal mesh shape is square; hexagonal meshes are also used,
but to a lesser extent.
Hexagonal meshes are more commonly used for trawling bags on
fishing vessels.
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Mooring System
The function of the mooring system is to keep the farm in a
fixed position and to avoid transfer of excessive forces to
the cages, especially vertical forces.
Different methods are used for mooring depending on the
type of cage, how exposed the sites are to the weather, and
the requirement for position exactness.
Two major systems are used for mooring: pre-stressed and
slack.
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Slack mooring is used to moor ships
which drift around one anchorage
point. Such mooring systems are well
adapted for stiff constructions such as
ships.
Pre-stressed systems are well adapted
for use in flexible constructions, and in
correctly designed systems the forces
will be equally spread over the entire
farm.
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A pre-stressed mooring system contains three
major parts:
(1) Mooring lines which include the point of
attachment to the cages
(2) Buoys
(3) Anchors.
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Description of the single components
in pre-stressed mooring system
Fixing point:
The mooring line is fixed to the collar by a shackle.
To secure the fixing point against breakage, a secondary fixing may be used
Mooring lines:
Different materials are used for mooring line or rope such as PA (nylon), PE, PES
and PP.
PA tolerates the highest forces with a given diameter, while PP ropes have the
lowest weight.
Metal may also be integrated into the rope to increase its strength, but this also
increases the cost.
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Double fixing is recommended where the
mooring lines are connected to the collar.
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Buoys:
Buoys are used to hold the mooring lines up so
that vertical forces on the collar are avoided.
Typical buoy sizes are from 200 to 700 l.
The buoys can be filled with air or foam.
To avoid puncturing reducing the buoyancy, the
use of foam filled buoys is highly recommended.
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Buoys are used to reduce the vertical forces on the
collar, and bird nets are used to avoid birds taking small fish.
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Anchors:
The simplest type of anchor is the dead weight or block anchor.
Concrete blocks are most commonly used as weight anchors and
vary from some hundreds of kilograms to several tonnes.
A drag anchor or ebbing anchor is another type much used.
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Different anchors are used for mooring
sea cages: block (A), drag (B), pile (C), bolt (D).
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The photograph shows drag anchors.
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Design of the mooring system
The design used for the mooring system depends on the type of
cages to be moored. These may be as follows:-
System for mooring several single cages
Single cages with walkway
Single cages with walkway and landing
Group of cages platform cages
Ocean cages
Cages lying on sway.
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A single cage may be moored by between four and six
single buoys attached to anchors and to the cage by
mooring lines.
It is recommended that the single mooring line be
divided into two before the fixing point to the cage,
this is known as the hen foot mooring; it reduces the
forces at the points of attachment to the cage
framework, because the number of fixing points is
doubled.
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INSTALLATION OF CAGE
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Cage body
Feeding platform
Bottom frame
Upper frame
Feeding tube
Cage cover
Wire for fixing feeding tube
The structure of small volume (size) cage
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The main components and materials of small volume (size) cage
Cage body
(net and rope made of nylon)
Upper frame (bamboo)
Wire for fixing feed pipe
Feeding tube
(made of
plastics or
bamboo )
Feeding platform (made of nylon gauze )
Cage cover (made of opaque cloth)
Bottom frame (made of reinforcing bar)
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The constructional order of small volume (size) cage
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Fig11
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Cage culture experiments in india
Air breathing fishes: Anabas & Singhi bamboo split
wooden cages
Clarius sp& Channa sp CIFRI @ Bihar and Karnataka
Catla: CIFA @ Bangalore
Freshwatre prawns: M.rosenebergii, M. malcolmsonii &
M.idae
Mahaseer: Bhimtal
C.I.F.E cage experiments