Cage - General (2)
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likithakviswanathanCage - General (2)
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likithakviswanathanCage culture system
WHAT IS CAGE CULTURE?
• A cage is enclosed system on all sides
with mesh netting in which fishes are
reared. That maintains the free exchange
of water with the surrounding water body.
• originated almost 200 yrs ago in Cambodia
• Cages are generally small, ranging in
freshwater reservoirs from 1 m2 to 500 m2.
WHY CAGE CULTURE?
• The area of reservoirs of India is 3.25 million hectares , which
makes them the country’s most important inland water resource.
• Fish yields of 50 kg/ha/year from small reservoirs, 20 kg/ha/year
from medium-sized reservoirs and 8 kg/ha/year from large
reservoirs still leaving scope for enhancing production through
culture.
• The success rate of auto-stocking is very low in Indian reservoirs
to rear fingerlings measuring >100 millimetres (mm) in length,
especially carp, for stocking reservoirs.
Producing fingerlings in situ in cages offers opportunity for
supplying stocking materials, which are vital inputs towards a
• Land resources are becoming scarce
• Mariculture profitability has been established
• Could provide fisher folk with alternative sources of
income
• Demand for fish continues to grow with increasing
population
• Wild catch from the sea is declining due to over fishing
Global status
Purpose of cages
a. Grow out cultures
b. Larval rearing systems
c. Brood stock development
d. Fattening systems
e. Holdings for live catches
f. Aqua ranching
Cages
Fixed
Floating Submersible Submerged
Non rotating Flexible
Rotating Rigid
Beveridge (1996)
• FIXED: most basic & widely used in
depth of 1 – 3 m ; normally placed in
the flow of streams, canals, rivers,
rivulets, shallow lakes and reservoirs,
not touching the bottom ;
comparatively inexpensive and simple,
but their use is restricted
• FLOATING: are supported by a
floating frame such that the net bags
hang in water without touching the
bottom ; generally used in water bodies
with a depth of more than 5 metres ;
Enormous diversity in size, shape &
design .
SUBMERSIBLE:
• The net bags of submersible cages are suspended from
the surface, have adjustable buoyancy, and may be rigid or
flexible
• Cages can be towed away to a different location for harvesting or if
unfavorable weather occur. In areas subject to typhoons or cyclones,
submersible types of cages can be useful.
• They can withstand wind and waves much better than floating cages
• The mooring ropes will be only about 2-5m from the surface, but in
rough weather the ropes are dropped to 10m or more. (Fujiya, 1979).
• The net is raised to the surface at feeding time.
• SUBMERGED: Submerged net bags are fitted
in a solid and rugged frame and submerged
under the water. Their use is very limited.
