Aquaculture & Marine Engineering

Improve Offshore Aquaculture Performance With Copper Alloy Mesh Nets

COPPER ALLOY MESH FOR AQUACULTURE & MARINE ENVIRONMENTS

Due to its unique properties Copper Alloy Mesh offers unparalleled advantages in marine aquaculture.

The natural suppression of biofouling and its strength offer advances in fish performance while reducing operating costs. Copper Alloy Mesh also reduces potential environmental impacts and offers a lower CO2 footprint, making Copper Alloy Mesh the future of sustainable fish farming.

The Marine Mesh Series combines cutting edge copper alloy technology with more than 80 years of innovation in engineering and wire processing by Mesh Industries Group.

Precision manufactured on in-house developed specialised equipment and featuring our patented M-Lokk double knuckle technology our copper alloy mesh is the strongest and lightest available in the market

COPPER ALLOY MESH FOR IMPROVED FISH PERFORMANCE

Copper has been known for centuries as a natural inhibitor of biofouling in marine environments. Our wire supplier pioneered the development of a specific copper alloy wire for aquaculture that deliver exceptional biofouling performance throughout the life of the mesh.

Improved Dissolved Oxygen

Improved water flow leads to the increase of dissolved oxygen.

Less Disruption

Significant reduction in the cleaning and maintenance of nets and other equipment.

Less Disease

Reducing the habitat for parasites, disease organisms and precursors to disease such as hydroids.

Prevents Crowding

Maintaining a stable, durable structure and volume prevents crowding in strong currents.

With biofouling minimised, the best possible growing conditions can be maintained to reduce fish stress and disease. Fish grown in these conditions are healthier, less stressed and have lower exposure to disease which encourages improvements in growth rates and reductions in mortality.

SUSTAINABLE FISH FARMING WITH COPPER ALLOY AQUACULTURE NETTING

Sustainable fish farming is more than replacing wild caught with farmed fish. Increasingly consumers are demanding that farms are operated sustainably, minimising local environmental impacts and tackling wider climate impacts. Copper alloy mesh has a central role to play in achieving these goals.

Impact on Local Environments

The conditions for improved fish health from farming with Copper Alloy Mesh also improve the local environment the farm is located in. By reducing biofouling and cleaning frequency, cleaning discharges to the local environment are reduced by 70-85% as well.

Copper Alloy Mesh is a key enabler in locating farms away from coastal environments to less environmentally sensitive, high energy and open ocean aquaculture sites. It’s strength and rigidity will withstand the forces it’s exposed to and its strong enough to maintain excellent volume in heavy seas and currents.

In addition, with lower cleaning and maintenance requirements, copper alloy mesh nets are ideally suited to sites where access for prolonged work periods may not be safe or is only intermittent.

Impact on Climate Change

When used in aquaculture and marine farming, farm systems incorporating Copper Alloy Mesh reduce CO2 emissions and have lower cumulative energy demand compared to traditional materials.

These climate change gains are driven by lower fossil fuel consumption during operations, and the farm infrastructure uses less materials and the materials used have lower CO2 emissions in their production.

A 2015 life cycle impact assessment study PDF found a 49% reduction in CO2 emissions and 52% reduction in cumulative energy demand when using Copper Alloy Mesh. Read the full article here.

The International Copper Association is continuing to collect life cycle inventory data to further characterize the environmental performance of CAM net-pen systems to provide further evidence of the benefits of this emerging alternative.

COPPER ALLOY MESH REDUCES COSTS AND IMPROVES CASHFLOW

Studies and farm analyses show a reduction in operating costs when using copper alloy mesh nets. Specifically, the inhibition of biofouling impacts these operating costs and investments in equipment.

Reduced Cleaning

Excellent anti fouling performance significantly reduces cleaning costs. Predator nets can be eliminated and cleaning frequency is reduced by up to 70-85%

Less Maintenance

Nets and mooring systems require less maintenance – associated fuel consumption, labour costs and maintenance of boats, barges and cleaning equipment are reduced.

Less Equipment

Investment, maintenance, transport and storage of additional plant such as net cleaners and other cleaning equipment can be reduced.

Improved Fish Health

Improved fish health can lead to opportunities for feed cost reduction and reduced bathing and other treatments.

Recyclable

Copper Alloy Mesh has a usage life of up to 10 years and can be fully recycled for the production of a replacement net.

Supported by scientists and researchers and used by the worlds leading Aquaculture operators

The use of Copper-alloy mesh in aquaculture nets improve the sanitary conditions, productivity and sustainability operations of fish farmers around the world raising salmon, trout, sea bream, sea bass, cod, cobia, yellowtail and other species.

Copper aquaculture netting helps improve fish harvesting and increase the world’s food supply. Copper netting improves the harvest by collecting healthier fish in larger amounts at a lower cost.

ICAA Copper Alliance

Mesh Industries Group

Leaders in woven wire technologies

Mesh has its origins dating back to 1932. Since that time, our product range and brand names may have changed, but we have been continuously committed to the wire Industry.

+64 3 338 6696

sales@meshindustries.com