Construction and installation of hexagonal wooden cages for fish farming: A technical manual

FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper No. 576

Construction and installation of hexagonal wooden cages for fish farming

A technical manual

Fabrizio Piccolotti
FAO Consultant
Rome, Italy

and

Alessandro Lovatelli
Aquaculture Officer
Aquaculture Branch
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
Rome, Italy

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Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Rome, 2013

ABSTRACT

Piccolotti, F. & Lovatelli, A. 2013.
Construction and installation of hexagonal wooden cages for fish farming: A technical manual
FAO Fisheries and Aquaculture Technical Paper. No. 576. Rome, FAO. 76 pp.

This document is a practical guide that provides a list and technical details of the materials to be used for constructing a hexagonal wooden cage, together with its mooring system, for fish farming within the framework of artisanal aquaculture. The instructions for assembling the different components are illustrated in detail, and the technical guidelines for cage installation at the farming site are also described. The basic knowledge and instructions provided in this manual are intended for those working in aquaculture development.

CONTENTS

Preparation of this document Abstract Acknowledgements Glossary
1 –	Introduction
2 –	Selection of site and suitable species
	2.1	Site selection
		Environmental aspects
		Hydrodynamic and geological factors
		Physicochemical, ecological and biological factors
		Logistical and sociocultural factors
	2.2	Selection of suitable species
		Economic aspects
		Physiological aspects
		Technical aspects
3 –	Choice of cage model
	3.1	Basic criteria
		Economic factors: cost and benefit analysis
		Technical factors
4–	Components of a hexagonal wooden cage
	4.1	Cage model
		The frame
		The flotation system
		The mooring system
		The net
5–	Cage construction
	5.1	Preparation of the mooring posts
	5.2	Fixing of the wooden structure
	5.3	Preparation of the flotation system
6–	Cage installation at the farming site
	6.1	Marking of mooring points
	6.2	Preparation of mooring lines
	6.3	Installation of mooring posts and mooring of the cage
	6.4	Attachment of the net
References and suggested reading
Appendixes
	1 –	Calculation of the surface area, volume and buoyancy of a body
	2 –	Knots
	3 –	Composition of concrete
	4 –	Technical characteristics of ropes
	5 –	Calculation of location of the mooring posts

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