Shellfish Culture

1. Spat collectors bags for initial cultivation

Spat collectors are bags of plastic mesh, with a mesh size of about 1.5mm. The bags are filled with plastic mesh of a different type, usually semi-rigid polyethylene, to make a pillow shape.  Fishermen typically use about 2 meters of spat bag stuffing per collector. Collectors are strung to single, vertical lines, or deployed in an array, and suspended to float in the lower third of the water column.  Collectors too close to the surface will foul, and if set within a fathom or two of the bottom will tend to gather sediment, or may abrade on the seabed.  In Maine waters, collectors are generally set in the month of September, usually following the drops in water temperature the accompany storms or other weather fronts.  Collectors usually stay in the water through the next several months, and need to be checked frequently to prevent tangles, and to keep them out of towing areas by shrimpers, scallopers and draggers.  Scallops will not be readily visible until January or February, and by May of the following year should be in the 3-10 mm range.

2. Lantern nets for intermediate cultivation

For intermediate cultivation , both lantern nets and pearl nets can be used. For this purpose , both are made of raschel net with meshes sizes from 2 to 9 millimeters that effectively protects the larvae from predators .

With solid steel rings and cross-bars coated with anticorrosive plastic for very long duration, Huaxing Nets’ lantern nets are sturdy, ready for the challenge of time and constant fouling. Our lantern nets with plastic coating prevents rust without the need of using chemical treatments like galvanization, which can release zinc that could be absorbed by the shellfish. We are manufacturers of lantern nets with two opening types, the classic HDPE string or the practical velcro system. On lantern nets, Velcro offers a real gain of time while classic opening is an economical solution to any shellfish farmer. Among the farmed bivalves species with lantern nets are oysters, clams and scallops. On top of that, great results have been achieved with other molluscs, gastropods, crustaceans and octopuses.

3. Lantern nets for Adult cultivation

Lantern nets with a bigger mesh size are used from the intermediate cultivation phase o the final one ,using mesh sizes ranging from 9 to 32 mm . These lantern nets are made with knotted net of 100% pur high density polyethylene that warranties an optimal protection for the shellfish.