AU748311B2 - Mariculture apparatus - Google Patents

Description

10251

ORIGINAL

Complete Specification Applicant: Applicant's address: Inventor's Name: Inventor's Address: Title: Priority: SOUTH AUSTRALIA MARICULTURE PTY LTD 160 Greenhill Road, Parkside, South Australia, 5063, Australia Brent Smith c/of 160 Greenhill Road, Parkside, South Australia, 5063, Australia MARICULTURE APPARATUS Australian Provisional Patent application No. PQ2121 dated 9 August 1999 MARICULTURE APPARATUS The present invention relates to apparatus for mariculture. In particular, the present invention relates to a mariculture apparatus suitable for the farming of abalone.

Abalone are highly prized seafood delicacies which can command exceptionally high prices as fresh produce. In the natural state abalone are found in rocky areas subject to strong and/or frequent currents or waves. Traditional abalone harvesting involves individual divers diving in the rocky areas in which the abalone are found to release the abalone from the rocks on which they live. Typically, abalone adopt a cryptic habitat and locating the abalone in the environment in which they live can be difficult.

Where the environment is subject to strong wave action the natural harvesting of abalone is a relatively risky occupation. Moreover, the relative abundance of abalone in any particular location at any particular time also make for an unreliable harvest after any diving activity. Seen in this light the natural harvesting of abalone does not appear to be a very attractive prospect and there are sound commercial reason for developing abalone farming techniques which would allow a more controlled harvest of the products to take place.

One type of apparatus suitable for the commercial farming of abalone products is described in Australian Patent application number AU-A-73220/98. In this document a series of interconnecting pipes is described which has abalone and through which water is made to flow.

The present invention offers an alternative to the abovementioned method.

Therefore, according to the first aspect of the invention there is provided an apparatus for mariculture having a growing trough, said growing trough being adapted to hold a shallow volume of water therein and the trough further having a plurality of closable drains at spaced apart locations in a base of the trough, the apparatus further including a smaller water trough located adjacent to the growing trough at a higher lever for causing a periodic wave like flushing of water across the trough.

3 By creating a surface in shallow water over which a periodic wave like wash of water occurs the inventors of the present invention are seeking to create an artificial environment with a broad resemblance to the natural growth habitat of the abalone.

Preferably, the trough includes at leat two spoon drain elements at spaced apart locations in the trough each spoon drain element having an area of increased depth and a respective removable or fixed drain therein.

Typically, a trough appropriate for the culture of abalone could be up to 20 metres in length, 5 metres in width, 200mm of depth and accommodate a depth of water therein of no more than 20mm in areas other than spoon drain areas. Typically a spoon drain 10 could be up to 1 metre in width and up to 1000mm in depth. These dimensions make the unit of the present invention considerably larger than any previous abalone cultivation equipment.

The trough could be conveniently banded by a peripheral wall.

logo An appropriate material for construction of the trough is concrete, plastic or other mouldable rocklike material, or any other material suitable for cultivation of abalone or other marine species.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention the means for causing a periodic wavelike .flushing of the trough can include a smaller water holding trough located adjacent to the main trough and positioned at a higher level thereto. The secondary trough is adapted to hold a volume of flushing water and has associated water supply means.

Preferably, the flushing trough is pivotally mounted such that when filled the trough is caused to swing on the pivot emptying into the main trough. Typically, for the trough dimensions given above a periodic flushing of up to 1000 litres of water in a 3 minute cycle will be appropriate.

Preferably, the apparatus has a flat bottom allowing reversal of the flushing direction.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings which illustrate an embodiment of the present invention. The drawings illustrate: Figure 1 a perspective view of the mariculture apparatus formed in accordance with the present invention; and Figure 2 a cross sectional view of the mariculture apparatus of figure 1; and Figure 3 a planned view of the trough showing figure 1.

Figure 1 illustrates an apparatus suitable for mariculture, and in particular for the culture of abalone. The apparatus 10 includes a growing trough 12 formed of concrete or other material similar to rock. The growing trough 12 is generally rectangular in shape and has an upstanding peripheral wall 14 and a flat base.

On opposing short ends of the trough 12 are located spoon drains 16 and 18 which 10 form a deeper portion of the trough. Each of the semi circular spoon drains 16 and 18 has a respective drain 20 therein. The drain 20 can be closed when necessary. The depth of the general central area of the growing trough 12 in approximately 500mm, the long side of the trough being approximately 20 metres and the short side of the 9 trough approximately 5 metres in length.

Located to one side of the growing trough 12 and adjacent to the spoon drain 16 is an uppermost tipper trough 22. The tipper trough 22 is supported so as to be elevated when compared with the growing troughl2. The tipper trough 22 is supported by a pair of opposed supports 24, the connection between the support 24 and the tipper trough 22 being made by means of pivot points 26. The tipper trough 22 is able to move freely around the pivot points 26. A water supply 28 is positioned so as to empty into the tipper trough 22 and the tipper trough 22 holds approximately 500 litres of water.

In use water from the water supply source 28 empties into the tipper trough 22, and when the tipper trough is full the trough rotates around pivot points 26 emptying water into the growing trough 12. At any one time only one of the drains 20 will be open and the wavelike action of water flowing into the trough 12 creates an artificial resemblance to a marine environment. The water exits the trough 12 through whichever of the drains 20 is currently open. In order to reverse the apparent flow of the wavelike action it is simply necessary for the operator to close one drain and open the remaining drain The apparatus of the present invention therefore provides a simple yet effective method of reproducing artificially the natural habitat of the abalone.

Modifications and variations of the present invention such as would be apparent to a skilled addressee are deemed to be with in the scope of the invention. The examples are given for purposes of illustration only and are not meant to limit the scope of the invention.

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Claims (10)

1. An apparatus for mariculture having a growing trough, said growing trough being adapted to hold a shallow volume of water therein and the trough further having a plurality of closable drains at spaced apart locations in a base of the trough, the apparatus further including a smaller water trough located adjacent to the growing trough at a higher level for causing a periodic wave like flushing of water across the trough.

2. An apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the growing trough and the smaller water trough together creates an artificial environment with a resemblance to the natural growth habitat of abalone.

3. An apparatus according to claim 1 or claim 2, wherein the growing trough is appropriate for the culture of abalone of up to 20 metres in length, 5 metres in width and adapted to accommodate a depth of water therein of no more than 200mm. An apparatus according to claim any one of the preceding claims, wherein the 15 growing trough includes at leat two spoon drain elements at spaced apart locations in the trough, each spoon drain element having an area of increased depth and a Srespective removable drain therein. An apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the growing trough is appropriate for the culture of abalone of up to 20 metres in length, 5 metres in width and adapted 20 to accommodate a depth of water therein of no more than 200mm in areas other than spoon drain areas. •000

6. An apparatus according to claim 4 or claim 5, in which the or each spoon is up to 1 metre in width and up to 1000mm in depth.

7. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the growing trough is conveniently banded by a peripheral wall.

8. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the growing trough is constructed of concrete, plastic or other mouldable rocklike material.

9. An apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims in which the smaller water trough located adjacent to the growing trough is positioned so as to be able empty into the growing trough thereby effecting a flushing action. An apparatus according to claim 9, in which the smaller water trough is adapted to hold a volume of flushing water and has associated water supply means.

11. An apparatus according to claim 9 or claim 10, in which the smaller water trough is pivotally mounted such that when filled the flushing trough is caused to swing on the pivot emptying into the growing trough.

12. An apparatus according to any one of claims 9-11, in which the apparatus has a flat bottom allowing reversal of the flushing direction.

13. An apparatus for mariculture substantially as described and illustrated. 2. Dated this 8th day of November 2001 *SOUTH AUSTRALIA MARICULTURE PTY LTD By their Patent Attorneys 20 Lesicar Perrin a.