The Indian Council of Agricultural Research’s arm Central Institute of Fisheries Technological innovation (CIFT) has made nanotechnology answers to prevent the expansion of unwelcome organisms, also identified as biofouling, in the polyethylene nets that are used for aquaculture in the seas.

Biofouling, a recurring challenge, is impacting the aquaculture sector appreciably impacting fish output from aquaculture cages, leaving the sector concerned.

Adverse outcomes

Biofouling brings about clogging of meshes and cuts down the drinking water circulation in cage nets, thus minimising the size of mesh opening.

It prospects to the blockage of food items squander and anoxic conditions inside of the cages, thus decreasing the survival level and the wellbeing of fishes. It is also pointed out that biofouling of aquaculture nets also cause critical maintenance and operational complications and its management needs about 25 for every cent of the overall output price tag, he mentioned.

Nano coating

CIFT’s technological know-how makes use of polyaniline and nano copper oxide. Aquaculture cages are fabricated generally with substantial-density polyethylene (PE) webbings whose surface is to be coated with polyaniline and nano copper oxide and exposed in the open sea and estuarine natural environment.

P Muhammed Ashraf, Principal Scientist at CIFT, mentioned subject exposure experiments ended up done at Vishakapatnam (open sea) for 6 months by exposing two handled webbings. The results confirmed a considerable biofouling resistance.

The review concluded that the nano copper oxide existing in the matrix acted as a point source above the electron clouds of polyaniline, preventing initialisation of biofilm. The results highlighted the likely software of polyaniline to modify the non-polar surface of polyethylene to load active biocides to prevent fouling in cage aquaculture.

From the subject exposure experiments, the results revealed a wonderful likely for polyaniline with nano copper oxide in opposition to biofouling in aquaculture cage nets. This technological know-how has to be promoted even further for commercialisation, he added.

CN Ravishankar, Director, CIFT, mentioned that India’s fish desire would have risen to eighteen million tonnes by 2030 and it requires an extra seven million tonnes in a ten years.

With the seize sector plateauing, most of this desire ought to be fulfilled by aquaculture, in particular mariculture, which is envisioned to make a considerable contribution in the fish provide in the nation.

Fouling command is one particular space in which there are not several quick-to-use systems. This CIFT technological know-how would considerably limit fouling, which will have a cascading effects on the profitability of mariculture operations, he mentioned.