Challenges

The aquaculture industry faces many challenges. Keeping costs down in competitive seafood markets is imperative for producers as is maintaining a clean growing volume for fish. Farmers also need to institute and maintain environmental best practices in addition to the following considerations:

ChallengeTraditional netting often becomes clogged with organic matter resulting in a low dissolved oxygen environment for the fish, thereby stressing them. This in turn leads to a higher chance of disease requiring expensive therapeutic treatments. Divers are used to clean the nets, resulting in high costs.

SolutionCopper-alloy mesh provides a longer, useful life, thus reducing capital costs. The ability to stay naturally clean reduces the need for divers and provides a more suitable growing environment for the fish stock. Fish that experience minimal stress have fewer disease events, higher feed conversion ratios and higher growth rates. Robust copper-alloy mesh virtually eliminates predation and escapes, ensuring more fish make it to market.

ChallengeFish farmers always strive to raise their fish in the most pristine environment possible. Simply put, the better the water the better the fish. Government regulators as well as consumers expect little to no impact on the environment from their seafood providers.

SolutionCopper-alloy mesh is 100% recyclable, reducing landfill impact over the life of the netting. Traditional synthetic nets end up in local landfills because they are not recyclable. Copper-alloy mesh imparts significantly less foreign matter into the water when compared to traditional fish farming netting. The ability to stay clean means less use of fossil fuels to run generators and compressors, all contributing to a more sustainable product.

ChallengeAlmost all aquaculture growing areas attract persistent predators. This problem must be addressed immediately because farmers need to protect their valuable stock while not posing any danger to the predators they are trying to keep out.

SolutionSemi-rigid copper-alloy mesh keeps out tenacious predators such as seals, sea lions and sharks. Because the mesh cannot changes its shape easily, predators are in no risk of getting ensnared in the nets.