International Copper Association Southeast Asia

Shanghai - Better fish farming begins with copper. This is the key message to hear from both Corporación Nacional del Cobre, Chile (CODELCO) and the International Copper Association (ICA) during the Aquaculture Copper Week on 9-14 August 2010. 

The Aquaculture Copper Week is the first of its kind in Asia Pacific as ICA, together with its members strive to raise awareness for copper and its natural properties to prevent biofouling and/or the unwanted growth of marine organisms on aquaculture enclosures.

Víctor Pérez, Marketing Director of Codelco stated that, “Chile has rich copper resource and is the second largest producer of salmon. We sincerely hope to share with Expo visitors copper’s innovative application in aquaculture for a better future.”   

Codelco and ICA are working in innovations that solve the needs of important economic sectors of Chile and the World, placing the country in the lead in terms of new developments on copper uses with great impact in demand.

“Copper's natural properties prevent biofouling, the unwanted growth of marine organisms on aquaculture enclosures, to create cleaner, healthier conditions for raising fish - and healthier fish and cleaner oceans are good for people. Copper alloy mesh technology helps farms reduce fish handling, fish escape, net cleaning and discharges - and achieve their goal of using more responsible and sustainable farming practices.” said Hal Stillman, Director of Technology at ICA, at the opening of the Aquaculture Copper Week.

Rodrigo Sanchez, General Manager from EcoSea Farming, a Chilean company which uses copper alloys to improve productivity and sustainability in the aquaculture industry said, “We develop and market copper-based solutions for marine aquaculture. In addition to net pens for salmon and other species, our development activities include antimicrobial copper surfaces for salmon hatcheries, copper filters for sanitizing recycled water in hatcheries, and antimicrobial copper surfaces for fish transport vessels.”

Copper Alloy Mesh, a Proven Technology

The copper alloy mesh technology began in 1975 with salmon farming enclosures in the Northeastern USA. Since then, the technology has evolved and is now being successfully used in over 300 cages in Japan, Australia and Chile. Yellowtail, steel head trout, salmon, cobia and cod have been raised in copper alloy mesh applications. In addition to finfish, copper alloy mesh is being tested for various shellfish. Copper alloy mesh realizes a better growth rate and the better conversion rates so that it becomes a solution to sustainable development of aquaculture.  

Copper Mesh in Sea Water Service