Luvata Seawire Cage Deployed Off Turkey

The cages, which have already been successfully deployed in North and South America, provide a long-term solution for high-yield, humane, non-fouling fish farming in a natural environment.

As part of a project conducted by Turkeys Canakkale Onsekiz Mark University, the 140-m3 pen will be installed in a two-by-two grid system in 50-meter deep water and populated with sea bass.

Tests already conducted on similar cages have shown astonishing results - predator attacks reduced to near zero, a 15 per cent improvement in the food-conversion ratio and the mortality rate halved over three years.

Seawire creates a protective surface oxide that is safe for fish and effective against biofouling. It is resistant to organisms including barnacles, algae and other growths that often disrupt the flow of water and offer a breeding ground for diseases and infections in the aquaculture. By keeping the cages and mesh free of these obstructions, Seawire promotes better fish health and significantly cuts farming costs.

Luvatas Seawire is a thin, weldable mesh solution that offers a superior defense against predator attacks while maintaining ease of use and giving 100 per cent recyclability.

Seawire can use a smaller diameter wire, which is lighter in weight when compared with conventional copper-wire based solutions, delivering additional savings on raw material and downstream transportation costs. The conflicting surface currents and undercurrents in the Dardanelles Strait will put competing copper chain-link and mesh solutions to one of the toughest durability tests to date.

Luvata continues to support research and development of copper alloy based solutions for a wide variety of applications including aquaculture, said John Peter Leesi, Luvata CEO.

With the success of our Seawire material in trials to raise lobsters in Maine, cobia in Panama, salmon in Chile and crab in the Chesapeake Bay, we hope it enables the way for sustainable, humane fish-farming practices, he concluded.