EP3986123A1 - Sea lice inhibiting system - Google Patents
Sea lice inhibiting systemInfo
- Publication number
- EP3986123A1 EP3986123A1 EP20737094.1A EP20737094A EP3986123A1 EP 3986123 A1 EP3986123 A1 EP 3986123A1 EP 20737094 A EP20737094 A EP 20737094A EP 3986123 A1 EP3986123 A1 EP 3986123A1
- Authority
- EP
- European Patent Office
- Prior art keywords
- fish cultivation
- fish
- enclosure
- filtration
- screen assembly
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Pending
Links
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Classifications
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
- A01K61/10—Culture of aquatic animals of fish
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
- A01K61/10—Culture of aquatic animals of fish
- A01K61/13—Prevention or treatment of fish diseases
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
- A01K61/60—Floating cultivation devices, e.g. rafts or floating fish-farms
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A01—AGRICULTURE; FORESTRY; ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; HUNTING; TRAPPING; FISHING
- A01K—ANIMAL HUSBANDRY; AVICULTURE; APICULTURE; PISCICULTURE; FISHING; REARING OR BREEDING ANIMALS, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; NEW BREEDS OF ANIMALS
- A01K61/00—Culture of aquatic animals
- A01K61/80—Feeding devices
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K10/00—Animal feeding-stuffs
- A23K10/30—Animal feeding-stuffs from material of plant origin, e.g. roots, seeds or hay; from material of fungal origin, e.g. mushrooms
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K20/00—Accessory food factors for animal feeding-stuffs
- A23K20/10—Organic substances
- A23K20/142—Amino acids; Derivatives thereof
- A23K20/147—Polymeric derivatives, e.g. peptides or proteins
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K20/00—Accessory food factors for animal feeding-stuffs
- A23K20/10—Organic substances
- A23K20/158—Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats
-
- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K20/00—Accessory food factors for animal feeding-stuffs
- A23K20/10—Organic substances
- A23K20/163—Sugars; Polysaccharides
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K40/00—Shaping or working-up of animal feeding-stuffs
- A23K40/30—Shaping or working-up of animal feeding-stuffs by encapsulating; by coating
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- A—HUMAN NECESSITIES
- A23—FOODS OR FOODSTUFFS; TREATMENT THEREOF, NOT COVERED BY OTHER CLASSES
- A23K—FODDER
- A23K50/00—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
- A23K50/80—Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2239/00—Aspects relating to filtering material for liquid or gaseous fluids
- B01D2239/06—Filter cloth, e.g. knitted, woven non-woven; self-supported material
- B01D2239/065—More than one layer present in the filtering material
- B01D2239/0654—Support layers
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D2239/00—Aspects relating to filtering material for liquid or gaseous fluids
- B01D2239/12—Special parameters characterising the filtering material
- B01D2239/1225—Fibre length
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- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B01—PHYSICAL OR CHEMICAL PROCESSES OR APPARATUS IN GENERAL
- B01D—SEPARATION
- B01D39/00—Filtering material for liquid or gaseous fluids
- B01D39/08—Filter cloth, i.e. woven, knitted or interlaced material
- B01D39/083—Filter cloth, i.e. woven, knitted or interlaced material of organic material
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- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A—TECHNOLOGIES FOR ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02A40/00—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production
- Y02A40/80—Adaptation technologies in agriculture, forestry, livestock or agroalimentary production in fisheries management
- Y02A40/81—Aquaculture, e.g. of fish
Definitions
- This invention relates generally to the field of aquaculture and more particularly to cultivation of fish in marine environments where cultivated fish may become exposed to copepod or sea lice parasite attack within the confines of cultivation cages. More particularly the invention relates to a fish cultivation system and filtration screen assembly therefor for inhibition of ingress of sea lice larvae, other marine copepods, jellyfish and algae into fish cultivation cages, to a method of screening a fish cultivation enclosure and to a method of cultivating fish.
- the aquaculture fin fish industry is an important provider of certain species of fish, such as Atlantic Salmon which are cultivated in cages submerged in an offshore marine environment.
- Ectoparasitic copepods such as sea lice that occur naturally around the world are pathogenic to salmonid species and are attracted to the unnaturally high density of salmon populations retained in multi cage cultivation. In this environment, large numbers of sea lice can quickly cause severe skin damage and consequent high mortality among fish populations.
- the cost involved in monitoring protecting and treating cultivated fish from sea lice is a significant element of the cost of fish farm cultivation.
- Another, more passive, solution has been to propose the use of a skirt to inhibit to the transport of lice or lice larvae into the cage through barrier means.
- a fine meshed fluid- permeable net for protecting fish farm cages against sea lice and meroplankton while at the same time maintaining oxygen supply and preventing harmful fouling on the net line.
- This entails enveloping the farm cage with the fine mesh fluid permeable net which extends down 5 to 15 m.
- the mesh width is stated as being from 100 pm to 1000 pm and typically 350 pm, where it is assumed this mesh will stop free-living stages of salmon lice.
- IN-B-301282 describes a strong lightweight anti-fouling flexible woven fabric which has a mismatch of warp and weft yarn denier (linear mass density). It refers to a fabric made with the yarn for use around aquaculture cages or a full farm site, for the purpose of blocking harmful pests, parasites, organisms and animals from entering into the cage/farm. It describes a warp yarn comprises 500 denier HDPE monofilament yarn, which is hydrophobic, while the weft direction yarn comprises a 1000 denier polyester multifilament hydrophilic yam. However, such woven fabrics are heavy, offer only limited porosity and are difficult to clean.
- micro-jellyfish e.g.
- Dipleurosoma typicum into aquaculture cages in large numbers which can cause mass killing events.
- Algal blooms are increasingly problematic for the fin fish aquaculture industry, including offshore fin fish aquaculture (such as salmon farming). Blooms of toxic microalgae such as Cochlodinium sp. have killed hundreds of thousands of salmon in Chile in recent years, while the North Atlantic salmon farming industry has seen increasing incidences of algal blooms, such as of the Chrysochromulina family and the Alexanclrium family (e.g.
- Alexandrium tamarense Algal blooms in summer 2019 are said to have led to the loss of 11,000 tonnes of salmon in Norway alone.
- the cause of mortality of salmon in farms affected by algal blooms is typically suffocation by lack of oxygen.
- Algae can attach to the gill membrane of the fish and damage them preventing the fish from taking up oxygen.
- a bloom will start to kill salmon within hours.
- Various methods can be adopted to try and avoid the worst effects of an algal bloom. These include premature harvesting of the salmon, requiring prompt action before a bloom affects a farm or before the fish die in large numbers.
- Preventative measures include surrounding the aquaculture cage with a tarpaulin and optionally pumping water into the cage from depth. Aerating the water in the cage, to mobilise the algae and increase the oxygen available in the cage for the salmon to take up is also tried.
- the inventor has devised systems for addressing the shortcomings of existing methods.
- a fish cultivation system comprising
- a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume; and, (optionally forming the fish cultivation enclosure structure or disposed in relation to the enclosure structure),
- a filtration screen assembly for inhibiting ingress of marine copepods, such as sea lice, and/or marine parasites or pests into the fish cultivation volume, the filtration screen assembly comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 200 pm and at least one porous reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- a filtration screen assembly for a fish cultivation system, the filtration screen assembly comprising a filtration element having a pore size preferably of up to 200 pm and at least one porous structural supporting or reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element, whereby for inhibiting ingress of marine copepods into the fish cultivation volume.
- a method of screening a fish cultivation enclosure comprising providing a filtration screen assembly as defined herein as, or in relation to, the fish cultivation enclosure.
- a method of cultivating fish comprising provide a fish cultivation enclosure having a filtration screen assembly as defined herein forming the fish cultivation enclosure structure, or disposed in relation thereto, to inhibit ingress of marine copepods into a fish cultivation volume.
- a mesh filtration element having a pore size of from 125 to 200 pm to inhibit ingress of the larvae of marine copepods into a fish cultivation enclosure by disposing the filtration element about an inner or outer perimeter of a fish cultivation enclosure preferably to a depth of at least 6 m.
- a mesh filtration element having a pore size of up to 300 pm, preferably up to 200 pm and more preferably up to 175 pm, to inhibit ingress of jellyfish and/or the larvae of marine copepods into a fish cultivation enclosure by disposing the filtration element in relation to the fish cultivation enclosure, inside or outside the enclosure, in order to envelop, sub-surface, a fish cultivation volume.
- a fish cultivation system comprising:
- a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume; and, (optionally forming the fish cultivation enclosure structure or disposed in relation to the enclosure structure),
- a filtration screen arrangement for inhibiting ingress of algae into the fish cultivation volume, the filtration screen arrangement comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 150 pm, preferably up to 100 pm and preferably from 40 to 80 pm.
- a filtration screen arrangement for a fish cultivation system comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 150 pm preferably up to 100 pm and preferably from 40 to 80 pm for inhibiting the ingress of algae into a fish cultivation volume.
- a use and method of screening a fish cultivation enclosure against ingress of algae comprising providing a filtration element as defined herein as, or in relation to, a fish cultivation enclosure.
- a fish cultivation system comprising:
- a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume, the fish cultivation enclosure structure comprising a porous mesh or net;
- a water-pumping system for pumping water into the fish cultivation volume.
- a fish cultivation system comprising a fish cultivation enclosure of structural netting and an inner cultivation enclosure formed of a filtration screen assembly, the filtration screen assembly comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 200 pm and at least one porous structural supporting or reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- a fish food formulation for feeding fin fish species in aquaculture systems the fish food formulation characterized by being buoyant in sea water.
- a fish cultivation system comprising:
- a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume
- a food delivery system for delivering food, such as that defined above, to the fish cultivation enclosure, which food delivery system comprises one or a plurality of food outlets for the release of food into the fish cultivation enclosure, said one or more food outlets disposed at a depth of at least two metres.
- a fish cultivation system comprising a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume and a visual interference arrangement configured to interfere with, inhibit or obstruct the visual perception by seals of fish within the enclosure structure.
- a use of one or more visual interference arrangements provided as or in association with a fish cultivation enclosure structure to in interfere with, inhibit or obstruct the visual perception by seals of fish within the enclosure structure of fish cultivation system to thereby reduce seal preying events.
- the fish cultivation system of the invention having a fish cultivation enclosure or cage provided with a filtration screen assembly inhibits the passage of sea lice larvae into fish cultivation cages and therefore prevents infestation of cultivation fish with sea lice, while at the same time allowing the passage of water into the cultivation cages to maintain oxygenation of the water in the cage.
- the fish cultivation system of another aspect of the invention having a cultivation enclosure or cage provided with a filtration screen arrangement inhibits or prevents the passage of algae into fish cultivation cages and therefore prevents or delays the suffocation of cultivation fish in the event of an algal bloom.
- the fish cultivation system having an enclosure volume filtration screen assembly or filtration screen arrangement envelope serves to interfere with the visual cues required for seal attack and thus reduces the risk of seal attack or damage on aquaculture pens.
- Figure la is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of one embodiment of the present invention.
- Figure lb illustrates in magnified cut-out form a filtration screen assembly for use in the system of Figure la;
- Figure 2a is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of another embodiment of the present invention.
- Figure 2b illustrates in magnified cut-out form a filtration screen assembly for use in the system of Figure 2a;
- Figure 3a is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of another embodiment of the present invention
- Figure 3b illustrates in magnified cut-out form a filtration screen assembly for use in the system of Figure 3a;
- Figure 4 is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of another aspect of the present invention.
- Figure 5a is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of another aspect of the present invention.
- Figure 5b is a schematic illustration of a filtered, reduced temperature water replenishment system for use in the fish cultivation system of Figure 5a, according to an embodiment of the invention
- Figure 6 is a schematic illustration of a further embodiment of the filtration screen assembly of the present invention.
- FIG. 7 is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of a further embodiment of the invention.
- Figure 8 is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of another aspect of the invention.
- Figure 9 is a schematic illustration of a fish cultivation system of one embodiment incorporating a buoyant feeding arrangement of a further aspect of the invention.
- the present invention is directed to a fish cultivation system comprising a fish cultivation enclosure structure or cage having a filtration screen assembly and, in another aspect, to the filtration screen assembly for use in the fish cultivation system. It further relates to a method for screening sea lice larvae and other parasites and pests from a fish cultivation volume and to a method of aquaculture using the fish cultivation system.
- the filtration screen assembly comprises a filtration element having a pore size of up to 200 pm and at least one porous reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- the filtration screen assembly and system incorporating it is particularly effective in the screening of the larvae of marine copepods of the order siphonostomatoida, family Caligidae, especially of the genus Caligus and Lepeoptheirus (which together will be referred to generally as sea lice herein). It may particularly be effective in screening Caligus rogercresseyi and
- Lepeophtheirus salmonis It is particularly concerned with Atlantic L. salmonis.
- the screening of sea lice larvae to inhibit ingress into fish cultivation volumes defined by fish cultivation enclosures may be achieved by providing the filtration screen assembly and disposing it about a full perimeter of the enclosure structure.
- the assembly may be disposed to the exterior of the enclosure structure, to the interior of the enclosure structure or may be integral with (e.g. forms at least a part of) the enclosure structure. In one embodiment, it is preferably disposed to the interior of the enclosure structure or is integral with (e.g. forms at least a part of) the enclosure structure.
- the filtration screen assembly is configured to surround a portion of a fish cultivation volume from a water surface to a depth of at least 4 m, preferably at least 6 m and typically from 6 to 8 m, for example in the form of a curtain.
- the filtration screen assembly is disposed to the interior of the fish cultivation enclosure. This is particularly applicable for sea lice larvae screening.
- the filtration screen assembly entirely envelopes or encases, in the sub-surface, the fish cultivation volume (forming a filtration screen assembly envelope).
- the filtration screen assembly is disposed to the interior of the fish cultivation enclosure.
- the filtration screen assembly envelope is disposed to the interior of the fish cultivation enclosure, which itself may be a conventional salmon cage, for example.
- the filtration screen assembly envelope may be secured to the fish cultivation enclosure at key points, for example, at the rim (e.g. to a HDPE pipe) and at a depth of 8 to 10m (e.g. via an internal circumferential element disposed in the filtration screen assembly envelope).
- the filtration screen assembly envelope may extend to a depth of up to 10 m, preferably from 6 to 8 m.
- Such a filtration screen assembly, forming an envelope may be useful in retrofitting to existing fish cultivation systems (e.g. salmon farm cages) by disposing the filtration screen assembly or envelope thereof into the fish cultivation volume, and secure it to the fish cultivation system (e.g. the enclosure structure) at key points, ideally at the top (e.g. rim) and bottom of the cage.
- the filtration screen assembly is integral with and/or forms at least a portion of the fish cultivation enclosure.
- the filtration screen assembly may define the entirety of the net portion of the structural enclosure or may form a portion thereof (e.g. the top 4 to 6 m or up to 8 m).
- a system according to this general embodiment may be effective in screening of other species such as jellyfish. Further, unconsumed feed and particulates containing medicines, as well as fish faeces may be prevented from egress from the fish cultivation enclosure, thus reducing environmental impact of sea fish cultivation. Instead, such materials may be directed to the base and periodically removed (e.g. via a pump) or directed into a container or basket disposed at the base of the fish cultivation enclosure.
- the filtration screen assembly is configured to extend by a distance above the normal surface of the water so that waves do not cause water to advance over the upper edge of the screen and risk ingress of sea lice larvae.
- the filtration screen assembly is configured to extend above the water by at least 50 cm above normal sea level and more preferably at least 1 m and typically up to 1.5 m.
- the filtration screen assembly may be effective in screening of other pests in fish cultivation, such as jellyfish, including micro jellyfish. In these embodiments, they may preferably be effective in screening Dipleurosoma typicum and mauve stingers.
- the filtration screen assembly may have one porous reinforcing (or structural supporting) element disposed on or in relation to one side of the filtration element or may have two porous reinforcing elements (or structural supporting elements), one disposed on each side of the filtration element so as to sandwich it.
- the one or more porous reinforcing elements preferably have a pore size of at least 500 pm and preferably at least 1 mm, more preferably in the range 2.5 mm to 10 cm, more preferably 0.5 mm to 5 cm, e.g. from 1 to 10 cm.
- the pore size of the porous reinforcing element is a square mesh of 1 to 3 cm, preferably about 2 cm.
- each porous reinforcing element is disposed adjacent to and in laminar arrangement with the filtration element.
- the porous reinforcing element may cooperate entirely with the filtration element or may cooperate or overlap at least 75% of the area of the filtration element, more preferably at least 90% and still more preferably at least 95%.
- the filtration screen assembly comprises at least two reinforcing elements, a first, outer, reinforcing element and a second, inner, reinforcing element (which may be the same or different).
- the or each porous reinforcing element is discrete from the fish cultivation enclosure structure.
- one porous reinforcing element is integral with or comprises the fish cultivation enclosure structure.
- the fish cultivation enclosure structure is formed of the filtration screen assembly, in which case an inner or preferably an outer porous reinforcing element is a knotted or unknotted mesh net (e.g. of polypropylene), such as that typically used in salmon cages.
- an inner or preferably an outer porous reinforcing element is a knotted or unknotted mesh net (e.g. of polypropylene), such as that typically used in salmon cages.
- the fish cultivation enclosure structure comprises an enclosure net and wherein at least a portion of the enclosure net is configured to be one of the porous reinforcing elements of the filtration screen assembly.
- the filtration element may have a pore size of up to 200 pm and preferably less than 200 pm, more preferably up to 180 pm still more preferably at least 40 pm, more preferably at least 50 pm, more preferably at least 80 pm, still more preferably in the range 125 pm to 175 pm and ideally in the range 135 pm to 160 pm and most preferably about 150 pm.
- a filtration element having a pore size of less than 200 pm and more preferably up to about 175 pm (and especially 150 pm or less) ingress of sea lice larvae can be inhibited and even prevented.
- a sufficiently robust filtration screen can be provided which is efficient in transport of water therethrough under tidal flows and thus is capable of maintaining natural oxygenation of the fish cultivation volume of water in a sea fish farm.
- the filtration element has a pore size of from 125 to 170 pm, preferably 130 to 160 pm.
- the filtration element is a woven mesh. More preferably, the filtration element is a woven mesh of synthetic fibres such as nylon (e.g. Nylon 6), polyester or polypropylene, more preferably nylon.
- the filtration element is a square mesh.
- the filtration element preferably has a warp and weft of a density within 25% of each other, more preferably within 10% and most preferably of identical density, which may be, for example, from 80 to 150 threads per inch.
- the filtration element may have a weight of 1.5 to 3 ounces per square yard.
- the filtration element has an open area of at least 30%, e.g. in the range 30 to 45%, e.g. from 33 to 40%.
- the reinforcement elements may take any suitable form.
- they may independently be optionally comprise synthetic woven or unwoven meshes, may optionally have a self-supporting stiffness, may optionally comprise nets (e.g. of polypropylene) typically used in fish farms, may optionally comprise a porous woven fabric such as that defined in IN-B-301282 (the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference for this purpose).
- the filtration screen assembly comprises two or more filtration elements together and the pair of filtration elements by a pair of porous structural supporting or reinforcing elements.
- the assembly comprises of two outer reinforcing elements, two filtration elements and between the two filtration elements, a central reinforcing element for additional robustness.
- the reinforcing elements having an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- a fish cultivation system comprises a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume; and, (optionally forming the fish cultivation enclosure structure or disposed in relation to the enclosure structure), a filtration screen arrangement (which is the eighth aspect referred to above) for inhibiting ingress of algae into the fish cultivation volume.
- the filtration screen arrangement according to this aspect comprises a filtration element having a pore size of up to 150 pm, preferably at least 15 pm, more preferably up to 100 pm, still more preferably in the range from 25 to 95 pm, preferably from 40 to 80 pm and optionally up to 75 pm.
- algae especially when formed as a colony or in an algal bloom, may be inhibited or prevented from passing through into the aquaculture cage and thereby preventing harm to the fish.
- the filtration screen arrangement may take any suitable form described above in relation to the filtration screen assembly of the earlier aspects of the invention, in terms of its relationship with the fish cultivation enclosure structure and in terms of its structure (and use of reinforcing elements).
- the filtration screen arrangement may be disposed to the interior or exterior of the fish cultivation enclosure structure, either as a curtain or an enclosure envelope, or may form the or a portion of the fish cultivation structure (in a similar way to that described above in relation to the filtration screen assembly).
- the filtration screen arrangement is provided as a curtain, either to the interior or the exterior of a separate enclosure structure, and preferably extending to a depth of at least 4 m, preferably from 5 to 10 m, e.g. at least 6 m and most preferably from 7 to 9 m. This is in order to inhibit passage of algae which tends to form close to the surface of the sea.
- the filtration screen arrangement is provided as a curtain to the exterior of the enclosure structure.
- the filtration screen arrangement may be configured for deployment in the event of an algal bloom affecting or likely to affect the aquaculture system. For example, it may be lowered into a deployed
- the filtration screen arrangement consists of the filtration element and optionally any means for securing in a deployed or stowed position and any means or mechanism for effecting deployment or stowing of the element.
- the filtration screen arrangement may be used to prevent harm to fish in the event of an algal bloom affecting the aquaculture cage.
- a fish cultivation system comprises a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume and a visual interference arrangement configured to interfere with, inhibit or obstruct the visual perception by seals of fish within the enclosure structure.
- Use of one or more visual interference arrangements provided as or in association with a fish cultivation enclosure structure may serve to interfere with, inhibit or obstruct the visual perception by seals of fish within the enclosure structure of fish cultivation system to thereby reduce seal preying events.
- seals make use of visual cues in addition to vibrational/ripple cues (detected by their whiskers) to locate and pursue prey when hunting. By interrupting one or more of those cue sources, it is believed that the attention or continued attention of seals can be interrupted.
- the visual cues and potentially cues associated with touch, e.g.
- vibrational/ripples can be disrupted by providing a visual interference
- a visual interference arrangement comprises any string like or trailer element provided on the fish cultivation enclosure structure (typically a net) to obstruct the view (for example, one or more trailing members of, e.g. from 1 to 5 cm in length may, be provided in relation to each aperture of a mesh net to obscure a seal’s view of the fish in the cage).
- the visual interference arrangement comprises a filtration element or filtration assembly or filtration arrangement as described above in the form of any of the embodiments described. It is believed that a filtration assembly or arrangement disposed about an enclosure volume, which comprises a filtration element having a mesh size of up to 200 pm, more preferably up to 175 pm, will serve to disrupt visual cues to the seal.
- the filtration assembly (or arrangement) is provided to enclose an enclosure volume so as to disrupt visual cues to the seal from all potential angles of attack.
- a fish cultivation system comprises a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume, the fish cultivation enclosure structure comprising a porous mesh or net; and, a water-pumping system for pumping water into the fish cultivation volume.
- water flow into and out of an aquaculture system enclosure and resultant oxygenation of the water in an aquaculture system as defined above may be effective, particularly in tidal flows and especially when the filtration element mesh size is toward the higher end of the range (e.g. approaching 200 pm and even approaching 150 pm) and depending upon the depth of the curtain/degree of containment by the filtration element.
- the system is provided with a water-pumping system.
- the water pumping system comprises of at least one, preferably more than one (and most preferably two) oxygenated water supply pipes for supplying oxygenated sea water to the enclosure.
- oxygenated it need not necessarily mean that oxygen has been added, but instead that seawater is sourced from outside the aquaculture enclosure where oxygen may be depleted due to insufficient inflow.
- the water supply pipes may be configured to deliver sea water from external to the aquaculture enclosure to within the aquaculture enclosure, either by disposing the fresh sea water into the top of the aquaculture enclosure, or via outlets disposed at a depth of up to 8 m, preferably from 1 to 6 m, more preferably from 2 to 4 m within the enclosure.
- outlets are configured such as to provide a degree of circulation of water in the enclosure, either clockwise or counter clockwise, for example.
- the water pumped into the enclosures will serve to increase the oxygen level within the enclosure, which may be depleted by reduced tidal flow through the cage and may serve to lower the temperature (by taking cooler water from a greater depth) which may be to the benefit of the fish.
- the supply pipes may be supplied with water from a depth of at least 5 m, e.g. up to 15 m, but more typically up to about 10 m, such as 6 to 8 m, via a pump or pumping arrangement.
- the water supplied to the enclosure volume is preferably subject to filtration (e.g. to ensure no sea-lice larvae, micro-jellyfish or even algae are allowed to enter the volume via the pumps), e.g. by passing the water through filter members which preferably have a mesh or pore size similar to the filtration element of the filtration assembly (e.g. up to 200 pm, and preferably about 100 pm).
- the filter members are preferably disposed in relation to the pumps.
- the pumps may be provided on a surface vessel (e.g. a feed barge), on pontoons attached to the aquaculture system enclosure or the like and served by water collection pipes extending to a depth beneath the surface (outside of the enclosure).
- the pumps are sub-surface pumps which may, for example, be fixed by stanchions or other securing or mooring arrangement to the aquaculture cage.
- the pumps may be configured to deliver any suitable volume, such as up to a cumulative 50,000 litres of sea water per minute to the aquaculture enclosure, preferably at least a cumulative 5000 litres per minute.
- each pump is configured to deliver from 5000 to 15,000 litres per minute and more preferably around 10,000 litres per minute.
- the system is configured to deliver a cumulative 15,000 to 25,000 litres per minute to the enclosure.
- the systems of the present invention are applicable to aquaculture systems of any size, from 25 m to 150 m diameter, for example, but preferably up to 110 m diameter, e.g. up to 75 m diameter and for example in the range 40 to 60 m diameter.
- up to 110 m diameter e.g. up to 75 m diameter and for example in the range 40 to 60 m diameter.
- the system of the invention comprises as the structural enclosure a filtration assembly as defined above, thereby forming a complete enclosure, is provided with a water pumping system as defined above and is configured to have a depth of up to 10 m, more preferably from 6 to 8 m and preferably has a waste collection arrangement.
- the fish cultivation systems as described herein may typically comprises the fish cultivation structure being a net (or comprising a filtration screen assembly) disposed in relation to a frame arrangement.
- the frame arrangement may be any suitable frame arrangement and any of many types used in aquaculture, especially sea water aquaculture, such as in salmon farming.
- One common frame arrangement utilizes a frame of HDPE pipes in a circular arrangement, with for example at least a pair of floating pipes and a handrail provided in connection with one another and typically a walkway disposed over the floating pipes.
- a further system and method for cleaning the filtration screen assembly may be periodically lifted from the water to enable power hosing to remove detritus.
- a robotic cleaning device may be provided to move around the interior of the enclosure to clean the filtration screen assembly, the robotic cleaning device preferably comprising a high pressure water cleaning mechanism.
- a fish food formulation for feeding fin fish species (such as salmon) in aquaculture systems is characterized by being buoyant in sea water.
- the fish food formulation is preferably formulated so that the average density, when wet (i.e. once disposed in sea water) is less than sea water, such that it rises when the fish feed is released at a depth (e.g. of from 2 to 8 m).
- the fish food formulation is in pellets and preferably the pellets have an average specific gravity of less than 1.025 (the approximate specific gravity of sea water), more preferably less than 1 (because some sheltered inshore or sea loch locations may have a lower salinity), such as from 0.5 to 0.99, preferably form 0.75 to 0.95, more preferably from 0.85 and still more preferably at least 0.9.
- the fish food formulation is made buoyant by including a buoyant media or food component, such as proteinaceous
- microspheres that are optionally air/gas-filled (i.e. microbubbles) or comprise a nutritious oil (of density less than sea- water) liquid filling (i.e. proteinaceous nutritious oil microcapsules).
- microspheres are in the range of 10 to 900 pm in diameter, preferably from 50 to 500 pm and more preferably from 100 to 250 pm in diameter.
- a fish food pellet comprises a low-density filler, such as a bark or wood-derived material, a plant fibre material, ash or charcoal or a natural wax, to contribute to an overall specific gravity less than 1.
- the formulation should be such as to deliver typical or required nutrition balance for the fish, such as a suitable proportion, as is known in the art of protein (e.g. 40 to 55% by weight), lipid (e.g. 15 to 30%), carbohydrate (e.g. 8 to 15%) and fibre (e.g. 1 to 5%).
- a fish cultivation system comprises a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume and a food delivery system for delivering food, such as that defined above, to the fish cultivation enclosure, which food delivery system comprises one or a plurality of food outlets for the release of food into the fish cultivation enclosure, said one or more food outlets disposed at a depth of at least two metres (e.g. up to 10 m in depth and preferably from 4 to 8 m).
- the fish food delivery system preferably comprises a feed hub configured to float or suspend or mount on a floating member (e.g. a‘birdcage’) of an aquaculture enclosure system or the cage frame.
- the feed hub will be the point on a particular enclosure that feed is delivered, by pipe typically, from a feed barge.
- the feed hub may comprise a hopper for addition of feed.
- Disposed in relation to the hub may be one or more down pipes configured to transfer feed to a release point which may be up to 10m below the surface, and is preferably at least lm below the surface, more preferably from 2 to 8 m, e.g. from 4 to 6 m.
- the one or more down pipes may be connected to a lateral sprayer or a plurality of lateral arms with a distal outlet for the release of food.
- a salmon cultivation cage 100 of depth 15 m and 50 m diameter is provided with a curtain 101 of a filtration screen assembly 103 (illustrated in Figure lb) suspended from a floating perimeter pipe 105 at an upper portion of the cage 100 and extends to a depth of 6 to 8 m, which is the depth sea lice larvae tend to occupy.
- the curtain 100 is free floating at the bottom or may be weighted or secured to the enclosure net 107 of the cage 100.
- the curtain 101 is disposed inside the cage 100, forming a curtain 101 about the perimeter of the interior of the cage 100 and generally disposed adjacent to the netting 107 of the cage.
- the filtration screen assembly 103 comprises a 150 pm mesh size woven Nylon mesh screen 109 disposed between two layers of reinforcing mesh 111.
- the reinforcing mesh 111 may have a mesh size of considerably larger than the mesh screen 109 and provides robustness and protection for the mesh screen 109.
- FIG 2a another embodiment of a salmon cultivation cage 200 is illustrated in which a curtain 201 of a filtration screen assembly 203 (illustrated in Figure 2b) suspended from a floating perimeter pipe 205 at an upper portion of the cage 200 and extends to a depth of 6 to 8 m in a similar configuration to that in Figure la.
- the filtration screen assembly 203 shown in Figure 2b, in this embodiment has a 150 pm mesh size woven Nylon mesh screen 209 and disposed adjacent and laminar thereto a single layer of reinforcing mesh 211 on one side thereof.
- the structural netting and screen assembly 303 extends the full depth of the cage of about 15 m depth. By encasing or enveloping the full cultivation volume, ingress of pests from any depth such as micro jellyfish is prevented in addition to ingress prevention of sea lice larvae.
- a salmon cultivation cage 400 of depth 12 to 15 m and 50 m diameter and comprising a standard form of salmon cage including a structural netting 407 of polyester or polypropylene or other suitable netting is provided with a curtain 401 of a filtration screen arrangement 401.
- the filtration screen arrangement 401 comprises a curtain (filtration screen element) of from 40 to 100 pm mesh size woven Nylon mesh screen.
- a 40 to 100 pm mesh size is considered to be sized to inhibit the ingress of algal blooms into the salmon cage, especially agglomerations of algae.
- the curtain may be suspended from or in association with a floating perimeter pipe (not shown) and extends to a depth of 7 to 10 m, which is effective since most algal blooms occur near the surface.
- the curtain 401 is free floating at the bottom or may be weighted or secured to the enclosure net 407 of the cage 400.
- the curtain 401 is disposed outside the cage
- the filtration screen arrangement 401 may be such that the curtain
- a stowed position may be rolled up in a case (ready for automated or manual deployment), or concertinaed and secured near the top of the cage.
- a supply of cold, oxygenated water may be supplied via the top of the cage 421 through a water supply pipe outlet 419 from an oxygenated water supply pipe 417 which may typically source its water from a 10 to 15 m depth outside of the cage (which may optionally be filtered through a 100 pm mesh filter). Water may then exit the cage through the structural netting 407 and optionally through the curtain 401.
- a fin fish (e.g. salmon) cultivation cage 500 of another embodiment comprises an enclosure 501 formed of a filtration screen assembly (for inhibiting ingress of marine copepods, such as sea lice, and/or marine parasites or pests into the fish cultivation volume) comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 200 pm (or optionally up to 100 pm making it also effective in inhibiting ingress of algal blooms) and each side of the filtration element a porous reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- the filtration screen assembly forms a full enclosure rather than just a curtain.
- the cage 500 has a depth of 7 to 10 m and 50 m diameter.
- a fresh supply of cold, oxygenated and preferably filtered sea water may be supplied to the cultivation volume via two oxygenated water supply pipes 517 sourcing water via pumps from say a 6 to 15 m depth outside of the aquaculture cage (see Figure 5b).
- the outlets 519 of the supply pipes 517 may be disposed at a depth of say 2 to 5 m within the enclosure 501 and configured to cause a circulatory movement or flow within the enclosure, which is beneficial to the fish. This helps to increase oxygen levels within the enclosure and also serves to reduce the water temperature in the enclosure. Water may flow out of the enclosure through the pores in the filtration screen assembly.
- Waste 525 including faeces, unused feed, etc, may collect at the base of the enclosure, with smaller particles of waste able to exit through the pores.
- the waste may be removed by pumping it out from the base of the enclosure periodically and may be processed (e.g. heat treated or de-salinated) for further use, e.g. as an agricultural fertilizer, or may be disposed of.
- This has an environmental benefit in that it reduces the pollution to the surrounding environment caused by the waste from the aquaculture cage.
- the water supply pipe 517 is shown extending from a water pump 535 disposed on a feed barge 533 which is located nearby the cage 500.
- a water collection pipe 527 is provided to the water pump 535 and extends into the water such that the collection pipe inlet 529 is at a depth of 6 to 8 m below the water surface 531 in order to collect oxygenated, cold water for use.
- the water is passed through a filter of up to 200 pm, preferably of about 100 pm pore size/mesh, in order to ensure that sea lice larvae (and other pests such as micro jellyfish) are not introduced into the aquaculture cage via the pump.
- the filter can be located at any suitable place, such as the inlet 529 or in or at either side of pump 535.
- a further embodiment of the filtration screen assembly 603 is illustrated, in which two layers of a filtration element 609, e.g. of 125 or 150 pm mesh size woven Nylon mesh, is provided and disposed between two layers of reinforcing mesh 611.
- the reinforcing mesh 611 may have a mesh size of considerably larger than the mesh screen 609 and provides robustness and protection for the mesh screen 609.
- the provision of two filtration elements 609 enables a greater robustness for the assembly 603, which is beneficial when used in high tidal flow areas or when utilized in forming a full enclosure or when it forms or is used for the enclosure structure of a cage.
- a fin fish (e.g. salmon) cultivation cage 700 is illustrated in Figure 7.
- an enclosure 701 is again formed of a filtration screen assembly (for inhibiting ingress of marine copepods, such as sea lice, and/or marine parasites or pests into the fish cultivation volume) comprising a filtration element having a pore size of 150 pm (or optionally up to 100 pm making it also effective in inhibiting ingress of algal blooms) and each side of the filtration element a porous reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- the filtration screen assembly forms a full enclosure rather than just a curtain.
- the cage 700 has a depth of 6 to 8 m and 50 m diameter.
- a fresh supply of cold, oxygenated and preferably filtered sea water may be supplied to the cultivation volume via two oxygenated water supply pipes 717, the outlets 719 of which may be disposed at a depth of say 2 to 5 m within the enclosure 701 and configured to cause a circulatory movement or flow within the enclosure 700.
- the water supply pipes 717 each extend over the cage rim 739 and to a depth of about 10 to 15 m to connect to submersed water pumps 735 which are disposed on stanchions 737 or other support members suspended from the cage rim 739 (e.g. floating HDPE pipes).
- the pumps 735 may, for example, be 50 horsepower and capable of delivering about 10,000 litres per minute of filtered cold water into the cage. Water may simply flow out through the porous enclosure 701 (and indeed can flow in too). Again, waste 725 can collect in the bottom of the enclosure 701 for later removal (e.g. by pumping away).
- the fish cultivation system 800 has an external fish cultivation enclosure structure 807 of generally standard construction (e.g. polyester or polypropylene or other suitable netting) and an internal enclosure 801 comprising a water permeable and porous filtration screen assembly comprising a filtration element of, for example, 100, 125 or 150 mih mesh size woven Nylon mesh, sandwiched by two
- the internal enclosure 801 is disposed within the volume defined by the external enclosure structure 807 and may be a cylindrical or upturned truncated conical shape in which the side is provided by the filtration screen assembly and a base 841 is provided of tarpaulin or also formed from the filtration screen assembly construction.
- the sides and base 841 of the internal enclosure 801 may be defined by a weighted (e.g. sand-filled) HDPE pipe 843 disposed about the circumference about the interior of the internal enclosure 801.
- the internal enclosure may extend to a depth of about 8 to 10 m.
- the external enclosure 807 which has a diameter of about 50 m and extends to a depth of about 15 m may be adapted with a circumferential HDPE pipe collar 845 disposed typically about the exterior of the external enclosure 807 and secured to the netting thereof.
- the external enclosure 807 may be provided with additional anchors 849 to secure it to the seabed (in addition to the conventional moorings).
- the internal enclosure 801 is secured to the external enclosure 807 by securing to a circumferential HDPE pipe defining the rim 839 and the weight HDPE pipe 843 may be secured to the circumferential collar 845 via securing anchors 847.
- the base 841 may be provided as a tarpaulin, it may be secured to the weighted pipe 843 via sewn in polyester or polypropylene loops.
- a tarpaulin base may be effective in improving the collection of waste from the aquaculture system.
- the internal enclosure 801 may be raised from the aquaculture system and inspected or repaired periodically (to ensure it maintains its integrity and continues to serve to minimise sea lice larvae ingress into the enclosure).
- the aquaculture system 800 may be provided with oxygenated water supply pipes 817 with cold (filtered) seawater pumped in from about 15 depth and delivered via pipes 817 to within the internal enclosure 801 at a depth of from 2 to 4 m (and preferably in a way to cause some circulation of water in the enclosure volume).
- FIG. 9 illustrates an embodiment of a further aspect of the invention which makes use of buoyant feed for providing to the fish in an aquaculture system 900.
- the system 900 comprises a regular or standard cage, in this case a fish cultivation enclosure structure defining a fish cultivation volume, which comprises a filtration screen assembly for inhibiting ingress of marine copepods, such as sea lice, and/or marine parasites or pests into the fish cultivation volume, the filtration screen assembly comprising a filtration element having a pore size of up to 200 pm and at least one porous reinforcing element with an average pore size of greater than the filtration element.
- the enclosure has a depth of from 6 to 8 m in this embodiment.
- the feed system comprises a floating hub, optionally suspended from a birdcage (not shown) or moored to floating HDPE cage rim 939.
- the floating hub may be fed from a feed barge by feed supply pipe 953.
- a downpipe 955 extends downward from the hub 951 to a depth of about 3 to 5 m leading to a splitter 957 from which a plurality of lateral pipes 959 may extend leading to a plurality of outlets 961 from which the feed is released.
- Being buoyant the feed slowly rises to the surface. This approach is significantly better for the salmon, who tend to feed from below in the wild, so a rising feed pellet offers more opportunity to achieve this.
- feed is not wasted by falling through the bottom of the cage (and polluting the surrounding area).
- the amount of feed can be monitored by the amount reaching the surface (as opposed to the use of cameras at depth monitoring the amount of feed sinking below a certain level). Thus, the amount of waste feed (and thus the cost for feeding the fish) can be reduced.
- Test chambers to assess the effectiveness in inhibiting passage of lice larvae through a mesh screen were set up using a circle of mesh glued across an open end of a section of 15 cm pipe, modified to enable suspension from the rims of 2.5 litre buckets, with the mesh submerged.
- the mesh screens used were samples of mesh of different pore size/material.
- the mesh screens are formed of monofilament synthetic fibres (of polyamide or polyester), having warp and weft monofilament fibres of equal thread density, are detailed in Table 1 :
- the lice-containing water from each nauplii batch was poured into a respective test chamber disposed in the 2.5 litre bucket and the beakers rinsed into the test chambers with sea water. After 30 minutes, the test chambers were lifted out of the water and the outer surfaces rinsed gently into the 2.5 litre buckets. The water remaining in the 2.5 litre buckets was concentrated and any lice that had passed through the mesh into the remaining water in the bucket were counted.
- the screens having a mesh size of 100 mih (screen A) and 150 mih (screen B) prevented passage of all the lice larvae.
- the screens from experiment C and D each excluded greater than 50% of the lice larvae.
- Screens of mesh size 250 pm or greater (screens E and F) were largely ineffective at inhibiting lice larvae transport.
- a 0.5 metre square sample of filtration screen assembly was prepared, which comprised a 150 pm woven nylon mesh screen (as defined in Example 1) and disposed on each side of the screen a relatively stiff
- a 2 m by 1.5 m sample of a filtration screen assembly used in Example 2 was prepared and held by two people, one at each end, in a vertical orientation in shallow waters in the sea, to face incoming waves on a beach.
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Abstract
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GBGB1908890.5A GB201908890D0 (en) | 2019-06-20 | 2019-06-20 | Sea lice inhibiting system |
PCT/EP2020/067387 WO2020254696A1 (en) | 2019-06-20 | 2020-06-22 | Sea lice inhibiting system |
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GB202020631D0 (en) * | 2020-12-24 | 2021-02-10 | Bett Andrew Gordon Towgood | Aquaculture System |
CN115152665B (en) * | 2022-07-26 | 2023-10-20 | 郝雅 | Aquatic ecosystem predation pheromone ecological effect research device |
NO347931B1 (en) * | 2023-01-25 | 2024-05-21 | Moreld Aqua As | Fish cultivation system |
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GB2619650A (en) | 2023-12-13 |
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