Shellfish culture and harvesting system
AssigneeGigas Growth Systems Inc.
InventorsDavid J. Saxby, Ronald J. Clark, Laurent L. Leroux, W. E. Lorne Clayton
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the cultchless cultivation of mollusks comprises placing the mollusks in an elongate bag of mesh material, which is preferably about 100 feet long. The bag has a longitudinal slit therein for providing access to the bag. The bag is suspended under tension in an underwater off-bottom location whereby the slit is maintained in a closed position by the tension. The invention also includes apparatus for raising the bag into an elevated position above the water for husbandry and harvesting purposes. In one embodiment, the apparatus comprises a raft provided with a pair of spiked rollers thereon for moving the bag along the top of the raft.
Claims29
A method for the cultchless cultivation of marine bivalve mollusks, which comprises the steps of:
- placing the mollusks in an elongate bag having an upper and a lower face of mesh material and bounded by a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal edges and a pair of transverse edges, said bag being closed along said longitudinal and transverse edges and being provided with a longitudinal slit in said upper face for providing access to said bag;
- and
- suspending said bag under tension in an underwater location, whereby said slit is maintained in a closed position by said tension.
A method of mollusk culture comprising the steps of cultivating mollusks in an elongate bag of mesh material which is suspended under tension in an underwater position, said bag having a longitudinally extending slit therein for the introduction of mollusks into or removal of mollusks from said bag and harvesting said mollusks by raising said bag into an elevated position above water and inverting said bag to discharge the mollusks through said slit.
A mollusk culture bag comprising an upper and a lower face of mesh material, said faces being bounded by a pair of substantially parallel longitudinal edges and a pair of transverse edges, the bag being closed along said longitudinal and transverse edges and being provided with a Series of longitudinal slits in said upper face, the slits being spaced apart from each other in the longitudinal direction of the bag.
A mollusk culture system comprising at least one elongate mollusk culture bag of mesh material provided with an longitudinal slit therein, means for suspending said at least one bag in a tensioned condition underwater and means for raising and supporting said at least one bag in an elevated position above water.
A mollusk culture raft comprising a floatable platform having a pair of spaced rollers mounted thereon for supporting a mollusk culture bag between said rollers, a third roller below said pair of spaced rollers for rolling a culture bag extending around one of said pair of spaced rollers onto said third roller and means for driving the rollers.
Apparatus for supporting a meshed mollusk culture bag in an elevated position comprising a pair of spaced rollers and a third roller below said pair of spaced rollers for rolling a culture bag extending around one of said pair of spaced rollers onto said third roller, the rollers being provided with spikes on their circumferential surfaces for engaging with the meshed bag.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.