News & Events

9 May 2010

AEG Containment System Increases Fish Welfare and Provides Cost-Effective Farm Option for Low to High Energy Environments

ST. ANDREWS, NB - AEG (St. Andrews, NB) now offers its innovative AEG Containment System for aquaculture site deployment globally. Commercial field trials using 125 m circumference collars have been ongoing since October 2008 on a high energy site in St. Mary's Bay, Nova Scotia, Canada where significant oceanographic conditions, including several tropical storm fronts, have been experienced since deployment. Performance of the AEG Containment System during one significant recent storm can be viewed on Youtube at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ACXpRA-s99g

AEG Containment Systems do not use a traditional mooring grid. Instead, cage-to-cage and cage-to-mooring connections occur at depth through an enhanced weight ring comprised of articulated steel beams. This strategy eliminates unnecessary bridle loads on surface collars especially during storm events. Total mooring costs are also reduced by shortening anchor lines, eliminating the need for traditional grid cells, and reducing the total number of required anchor lines.

"We have received numerous positive economic and management benefits through the use of the AEG Containment System within our own demonstration site operations," states Chris Bridger, AEG General Manager. Key positive attributes include:

• Increased Fish Welfare - The system design assures a consistent volume even in relatively high tidal current. This increases fish welfare and our own experience is a dramatic reduction in fin and scale erosion. Fish mortality on our high-energy site also remains consistent with expected mortality rate on low-energy sites.
• Mort Collection - Integration of an aluminum plate in the centre of the bottom net and lower spoke lines allows dead fish collection at a central location. Dead fish are also shielded from predators thereby decreasing potential damage to the net.
• Familiar Logistics Mitigation - The AEG Containment System uses a surface HDPE collar for flotation and to complete its structure. This common cage element ensures that existing logistics mitigation strategies to feed fish, change/clean nets, treat fish etc remain a part of your operations regardless of being sited in low-, medium- or high-energy.
• Ease in Net Cleaning - Expensive net changes can be eliminated as the deployed net remains taut in the AEG Containment System thereby providing greater ease in net cleaning. In our own case, untreated nylon nets have been used and cleaned as necessary while deployed.
• Socially Acceptable - The innovative mooring strategy eases use conflicts by decreasing the total mooring space required and completely eliminating surface ropes that can impede vessel movement and represent a nuisance to farm operators.
• Net Versatility - The AEG Containment System can be used with nets comprised of any material chosen by the fish farmer. This allows integration of the system within existing net infrastructure.
• Optional Nursery Net Integration - Each AEG Containment System provides sufficient structure to integrate a nursery net(s) within the main net to optimize fingerling growth and feeding. Nursery nets hang from a specially designed bird net stand and feeding can be further optimized using the water borne AEG Feeder. We have deployed up to 3 nursery nets within each grow-out collar to allow smolt triple stocking but within distinct growing units. Our nursery nets are removed when the fish reach a target stocking density and grow-out continues within the grower net.

"The AEG Containment System combines the large volumes and cost-effective logistics strategies expected with traditional surface-based cages with reduced forces offered by submerged cages in a single manageable unit," concludes Bridger.

About AEG
AEG Inc. provides professionally engineered equipment and management solutions to the marine aquaculture industry, particularly those operations sited in medium- and high-energy environments. AEG Solutions must meet five sustainability criteria to ensure our product portfolio is: socially acceptable, cost-effective, eco-friendly, professionally engineered, and robust for survival. Our own line of innovative technologies coupled with those provided through strategic business partnerships allows AEG to supply turn-key systems that meet global client needs.

For company details, please visit http://www.aeg-solutions.com. Videos illustrating the operational use of AEG Solutions can be viewed on the AEGSolutions Youtube channel at: http://www.youtube.com/user/AEGSolutions. For more information and purchasing, please contact:

Global Chris Bridger, General Manager AEG Inc. Tel: +1-506-529-8467 Skype: cjbridger Email: chris.bridger@aeg-solutions.com Youtube Channel: AEGSolutions

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