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University of Queensland Leads Project to Develop Cost-Effective and Durable Fish Farming Pen for Deeper Ocean Regions
In a bid to address the escalating competition for space in nearshore waters, the University of Queensland has spearheaded a project aimed at designing a sturdy yet affordable pen structure to facilitate the expansion of fish farming into deeper ocean areas.
Named SeaFisher, the innovative solution integrates high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes with custom brackets and connectors to establish a robust framework, as highlighted by Professor Chien Ming Wang from the University of Queensland School of Engineering.
Despite the vast expanse offered by offshore environments for fish farming, the harsh weather conditions encountered farther from the coast present novel challenges for cage design. To safeguard both the pen and the fish, water pumps are employed to fill the pipes, enabling submersion during stormy conditions, with subsequent emptying of ballast to resurface once the danger has passed, Professor Wang elucidated. Additionally, a front shield deflects debris, while reinforced PET plastic netting acts as a barrier against predators.
Preliminary estimates peg the initial cost of the pen at approximately $6 million, a fraction of the expense incurred by the more rigid offshore fish farming structures currently prevalent in the northern hemisphere. Moreover, modeling of the SeaFisher pen structure suggests the potential for tenfold increases in fish production compared to existing offshore pens, Professor Wang asserted.
The design features a modular system of 20-meter cubic cages, allowing for convenient monitoring, feeding, and harvesting of fish stock. Each cubic cage could potentially accommodate up to 24,000 fully grown finfish, with versatility for farming different species alongside each other or adapting for seaweed cultivation, utilizing waste from the pens as fertilizer.
Importantly, Professor Wang underscored the minimal disturbance caused to the benthos by the infrastructure anchoring the cages to the seafloor. By employing a chain attached to a single suction anchor, allowing movement with water currents, the impact on the ocean floor is kept to a minimum, he emphasized.
Commissioned by the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre and conducted in collaboration with researchers from Griffith University and the University of Tasmania, the project has attained patent status. It is now poised to transition into scale-model testing ahead of the construction of full-size prototypes.
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