Animal husbandry – Aquatic animal culturing – Fish culturing
Patent
1997-10-14
1998-12-08
Swiatek, Robert P.
Animal husbandry
Aquatic animal culturing
Fish culturing
A01K 6100
Patent
active
058456023
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The invention relates to a device for lowering and raising a fish rearing unit,
Fish and their related rearing equipment located in the ocean can be subject to undesirable changes in the environment, such as the infestation by algae or jellyfish, oil spillages, hurricanes, or from covering by ice and floating ice. All of the aforesaid changes in the environment have resulted in heavy losses for the fish rearing trade. So far, in such cases, fish farmers have had three options for preserving the value of the fish rearing plant:
The first two options have been unsatisfactory for fish farmers, due to the large economic losses incurred. The third option has been shown to be useful in situations wherein the undesirable change in the environment was caused by algae or jellyfish infestation or by an oil spillage. However, the third option has not proved useful when the undesirable change in the environment was caused by ice covering, floating ice or by hurricanes.
On the market today are closed PVC-rearing units in which water is pumped up from deep water. These units utilize the principle of transporting clean water up to the fish, and keeping the units separate from the environment by using a unit with a closed PVC-cloth. There are also other known solutions in which the rearing unit is lowered, with a float ring/cage using air-filled, closed boxes as part of the float ring. This is stated in NO patent publication 150.741, GB patent publication 2.008.912, DE patent publication 2.713.268, SE patent publication 458.088, NO patent publication 173 681.
Common to all these publications, except the last one, is the feature that both the rearing unit and float ring should be lowered. The fish farmers thus cannot use existing rearing equipment. NO patent publication 173 681 gives the fish farmer an opportunity to utilize all existing equipment, but is not a good solution when the undesirable change in the environment is caused by hurricanes floating ice or b covering by ice.
In NO patent publication 173 681, forces induced by waves will propagate down to the net cage, exposing it to stress. Floating ice is not avoided in NO 173 681, because the floating ice will interfer with the raising/lowering system, and even destroy the raising/lowering system.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for the protection of rearing fish and the related equipment against local changes in the environment, without the disadvantages existing in known devices.
A device according to the present invention may form part of the preparation for each rearing installation in order to reduce risks and losses due to rapid environmental changes in the upper part of the ocean. In preparation for a hurricane forecast, the entire installation may be submerged in order to avoid the stress from the water body that is driven through the installation in the shape of waves.
By means of present invention, the fish farmers may utilize existing rearing equipment, such as float collars, rearing units and mooring equipment. Furthermore, it is not neccesary to drag the installation away when the undesired change in the environment is caused by algae or jellyfish infestation, oil spillage or risk the installation being damaged by hurricanes, covering by ice or by floating ice. The installation is also better secured against theft if the fish farmer has the rearing units lowered in periods without supervision. Another aspect is that new locations in open and unsheltered stretches of coast can be utilized, as the installation may be lowered under the level at which the wave forces are great, and thus reduce the total stress on the installation and mooring.
The equipment of the present invention can be assembled by two people. The equipment is mounted on the float collars onshore. The mounting procedure is accomplished before the float collar is placed on the sea, or the existing float collars should be taken onshore before the mounting procedure begins. When the float collar is
REFERENCES:
patent: 4244323 (1981-01-01), Morimura
patent: 4257350 (1981-03-01), Streichenberger
patent: 4312296 (1982-01-01), Stelleman
patent: 5299530 (1994-04-01), Mukadam et al.
patent: 5477813 (1995-12-01), Lien
Kaarstad Charles
Volden Harald
Bergin James S.
Swiatek Robert P.
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