Better Management Practices for Net-Pen Aquaculture

Abstract

Net pens and cages are submerged, suspended, or fl oating enclosures used to hold and grow aquatic animals. Net pens and cages may be located along a shore or pier, or anchored and fl oating offshore, either in freshwater or saltwater (Fig. 8.1) They may be used to culture a variety of shellfi sh or fi nfi sh, but this chapter pertains only to fi nfi sh facilities. Cages have rigid frames on all sides and net pens have rigid frames only at the top. These structural differences have little bearing on environmental impacts of culture, so the collective term net pens is used throughout this chapter.