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Underwater Fish-Farming System “Sadco”

Article · January 2006

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Leonid Bugrov
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B iology
Aquaculture technology
L. Yu. Bugrov

Sadco - Shelf Ltd

St. Petersburg

THE «SADCO»UNDERWATER
FISH-FARMING SYSTEM
Underwater computer-assisted fish cage facilities intended for intensive
aquaculture in open sea or large freshwater reservoirs were developed on
the basis of long-term biological research. They are produced by the
Russian company «Sadño-Shelf Ltd». The fish cages enable one to breed
different fish species throughout the year in open water areas, including
those unprotected from wind and ice. The major advantage of the fish
cage facilities is that they normally operate in depth. This circumstance
provides protection and optimum conditions for fish farming.

34 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006

 Biology
In contemporary understanding, the
aquaculture is the breeding of water
organisms under the man-controlled and
man-monitored conditions. In the ideal case,
we mean not a passive but active control
over the processes proceeding in an
economic system. The industrial breeding
of marketable fish in land based complexes
with closed water distribution systems is an
example of a today’s fish-breeding farm
where the active control is maximally
realized. However, the capital and current
outlays are rather considerable (buildings,
equipment, power consumption for water
treatment, etc.). Therefore, the fish farming
in net cages has become the most popular
method which now remains the most
accessible one. Simple cages are
inexpensive and can be mounted on
elementary pontoons near the coast of
natural reservoirs. However, as the industrial
volumes of fish production grow, such farms
inevitably come into conflict with the other
water consumers and the restrictions on the
ecological capacity of inshore water areas.
The expansion of scales of cage
aquaculture leads unavoidably to the
advancement towards large open water
areas where strong competition between
users is absent and the conditions of water
exchange are better than those in coastal
zones. At the same time, oceanic water
areas are associated with a higher risk of
storms. Therefore, this circumstance makes
it impossible to copy the practice of
traditional coastal cages in designing sea
farms.
The modern technical arsenal of
aquaculture includes different variants of
cage systems. According to a hydrostatic
positioning, they can be classified as follows:
- floating cages; these are traditional fish-
farming systems which are permanently
disposed on the water surface and have a
constant water line;
- semisubmerged cages that have a
variable water line and are capable of
operating in a partially submerged state,
thereby reducing the wave load on the basic
pontoons below the water level (the upper
part of the cage structure is permanently
above the water surface);
- submersible cages of the first generation
(«diving» cages) that have a system enabling
a cage to be fully submerged under water in
the case of an undesired situation (for Fig. 1. Comparison of the net shape and the concentration of putting of fishes in the cages
example, a storm); otherwise they always of dif ferent systems: (a) traditional sur face floating cage, (b) semisubmerged cage, and (c)
remain on the surface. submerged «Sadco» system

June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 35

Aquaculture technology
Fig. 2. Gradient-device
Among the above-listed cage systems
there are also storm resistant constructions.
However, in solving the problem of
preservation of a cage structure itself, the
engineering approach prevails, whereas the
biological aspects are ignored. For example,
floating cages with a flexible skeleton (plastic,
rubber, or rope) can well withstand storm
waves owing to their damping properties.
In semi submerged cages, the storm
resistance can be provided by an increased
rigidity of the three-dimensional skeleton
structure. However, the fishes in such cages
remain unprotected from the wave action,
experience a higher stress, are susceptible
to «sea» sickness (their vestibular apparatus
also suffers from naupathia), and are injured
by the material of a net bag. Many cases
are known when a cage fixed firmly on the
sea surface was turned into a «clothes
washer» during a storm and fully ground the
fishes contained in it.
The common disadvantage of the
floating cages is that they are «attached»
to the sea surface where the fishes are
exposed to overheating and enhanced
insolation in summer. In addition, the cages
themselves can be damaged by floating
logs or garbage (in cold water reservoirs,
by drifting ice). One can also mention the
risk of contact with clouds of toxic algae
and oil stains.
The conception of «Sadco» underwater
technology made it possible to extend the
existing classification in application to the
cage aquaculture and its objective is to
overcome the listed negative factors (Figs.
36 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006
adapted in different sectors (separated by
partition walls) to the initial conditions.
Further on, after the partition walls were
removed, the fishes found themselves in a
circular corridor with water flows of different
temperatures. The observations of fish
behavior and the statistical analysis
determined the preferences of the fishes. In
this device it was possible to produce both
thermo- and photo-gradients in various
combinations. Later on, the laboratory data
with artificial gradient conditions were added
and compared with the picture of
observations under natural conditions. The
long-term studies (1979—1986) were
extended to the case of the natural gradient
in a thermostratified reservoir. In the period
from 1983 to 1985, an underwater training
area was organized in one of the deep pure
1a, 1b, 1c). The «Sadco» are submersible
cages of the new generation (underwater
fish-farming systems); the underwater
position is their main working state, and
they are raised to the surface only
periodically for servicing and fish-farming
operations performed as in traditional
cages.
History of development
The «Sadco» conception appeared in the
course of biological investigations at the
meeting point of physiology and the behavior
of fishes, the so-called preferences. The
initial task of the dissertation work of the
present author was the optimization of
conditions under which the fishes of salmon
family are bred. The behavior of fishes is
closely correlated with their ecological
physiology, and the various species of the
salmon family (Atlantic salmon, trout, and
Coho salmon) prefer the optimum conditions
if they have a free choice. Preferred
temperature and illumination regimes were
studied in laboratory (in the presence of an
artificially produced gradient). The original
gradient-device model (Fig. 2) was fabricated
by the author on the basis of analogs. It
represents a laboratory setup enabling one
to produce variable conditions in a whole
water volume so that freely swimming fishes
could choose preferred zones. The flows of
water at various temperatures were
delivered to different sectors (located along Fig. 3. Scheme of the cage-pen;
the circle), and then the water flew out at the net bag could be as high as a five-
the center. The groups of fishes were storey house
 Biology
lakes in Karelian Isthmus and in 1985 to 1986,
in the Black Sea (Cape Bol’shoi Utrish).
The basic tool for natural testing was a
cage-pen, i.e., a net tower as high as a five-
storey building where fishes could freely
move through the depth depending on the
location of water layers with preferred
conditions (schematically, the cage-pen is
shown in Fig. 3). In our observations, we
used not only SCUBA diving equipment, but
also the underwater television, the manned
underwater laboratory «Sprut», and the
research minisubmarine «Reef». The
underwater cages were tested in
combination with artificial reefs. A great body
of experimental data was obtained. Chiefly,
we managed to clearly determine the Fig. 4. Photograph taken from an illuminator of the manned underwater vehicle «Reef»;
optimum parameters of cage farming the most comfortable conditions preferred by fishes were at the lower part of the cage-pen
biotechnology and to breed practically
coldwater salmon fishes in conditions of
summer heating of the surface water layers
above the lethal temperatures. On a
photograph taken from the manned
underwater apparatus «Reef» (Fig. 4),
salmons are clearly seen to be exclusively
in the lower part of the cage-pen at T = 16.5° C,
avoiding the warmed-up layers. The growth
rate of the fishes was more than twice as
large as the standard figures.
The commercial application of «tower»-
cages in fish farming was considered to be
inexpedient because a huge part of the space
remained unused. Then, the idea was
suggested for the first time to design a cage-
«elevator» transported by a winch to a
desirable depth (Fig. 5). However, already
by 1987 this scheme had been replaced by
a hydrostatic construction, i.e., a cage could
be positioned vertically by using ballast Fig. 5. Idea of a cage-«elevator» foreseeing three stage of facility immersion
tanks, as in a submarine. After a series of
model tests on the wave and flow actions in
water gutters, several prototypes of today’s
«Sadco» system were designed and
approved. In 1987-1991, automated
underwater fishponds were for the first time
successfully used near offshore oil rigs to
breed salmon and sturgeon fish families in
the Caspian and Black Sea at a distance of
30 km from the coast. Thus, the idea of using
oil-and-gas hydroengineering facilities for the
fish industry appeared in the USSR as far
back as the late 1980s. By that time, a
sufficient number of idle marine stationary
platforms had been present in the World
Ocean whose dismantling was economically
unjustified. Collaboration with the USSR
Ministry of Oil-and-Gas Industry made it Fig. 6. Submersible cage complex «Sadco-Kitezh» (consisting of six individual cage modules)
possible not only to prove the feasibility of disposed near the of fshore oil-rig (1988)

June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 37

Aquaculture technology
marine oil platforms conversion for the
purposes of aquaculture, but also to perform
the approbation of the underwater
technology for fish farming.
The idea was based on the fact that a
marine stationary platform (MSP) is virtually
a secondary artificial reef around of which
an increased concentration of hydrobionts
is observed. Of no small importance is the
fact that the underwater parts of a MSP are
subjected to biofouling by invertebrate-
filtrators that actively clean the water from
pollution during their life. In world practice,
the submersible cage facilities (SCF) were
already used for fish breeding. However, the
difficulty with their fabrication and use in
open sea consisted in providing their storm
resistance. For example, at that time the
storm resistant constructions were designed
Fig. 7. Submersible cage «Sadco - SG» is lifted to the sur face; service operations are being
in Japan. They provided for the immersion of
per formed
cages under water only in extreme
situations. Being immersed under water, the
fishes could not be fed, and during the storm
the hydrobionts hungered, which had a
negative effect on their growth. In the case
of a slightest technological error or a failure
of the immersion system during a typhoon,
the cages remained on the surface where
they were destroyed by storm waves
together with the fishes.
Thus, the available foreign experience
could not be applied without essential
revaluation and revision. In the USSR, the
underwater automated-feeding cages of the
second generation were developed that
made it possible to normally breed fishes
both near surface and under water. They also
allowed the choice of temperature
parameters optimal for fishes by transporting
the cages to a given depth. Owing to this
and the possibility of locating supportive
tools on the marine platform, a first SCF-MSP
prototype at the oil-and-gas field PO
«Chelekenmorneftegasprom» was fab-
ricated. The aim of this experimental-
industrial enterprise was not only to breed
concrete fish species in open sea cages, but
also to realize the principle of marine
polyculture in the region of a stationary
platform, or in other words, to provide
conditions for the all-round use of the
surrounding hydrobiocenose with internal
trophic interconnections. In the region of the
operating MSP, at a distance of 20 m against
bridges connecting three blocks of the
platform, different variants of submerged
cage facilities «Sadco-4», «Sadco-6», and
Fig. 8. «Sadco» cage immersion multimodule cage complex «Sadco-Kitezh»

38 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006

 Biology
were installed (Fig. 6). They were not
mechanically connected with the platform
and had no effect on the loading
characteristics. Only cables connected the
platform with the cages with the aim of life
support. Initially, young fishes of beluga and
trout (with an average weight of 12 g) were
put into the cages. Survivability of the fishes
corresponded to the standards for freshwater
farms. An increase in weight of the fishes was
much larger than expected. Within a year, the
weight of a trout reached 700 g.
The underwater observations and TV
videorecording showed that the trout fry fed
even in the storm weather, the cage
oscillations in the depth were insignificant
and did not have any stress effect on the
fishes, and the life support system operated Fig. 9. «Sadco - SG» cage is in the submerged position; the construction providing a
safely. Owing to the full automation of the constant form and a tensile state of the net bag is seen
feeding process, the cage servicing
periodicity was only determined by the feed
distributor bunker size and a daily ration of
the fishes. As a result, the cage needed to
be surfaced only once a month.
In the framework of this testing, we
performed experiments to catch sprats
attracted by the «reef» properties of the
marine platform. The sprats were used for
the additional feeding of the trouts bred in
the cage. The observations showed that the
remainder of the feed and the wastes of vital
functions of the trout, increased substantially
the concentration of fishes and invertebrates
in the region of the SCF-MSP. Thus, the
«additional feeding» from the local biota
enhanced the belt of biofiltrators and
increased the ability of natural cleaning and
ecological sanitation of the surrounding
water area.
When discussing the prospects of
installing submerged cage facilities near oil-
gas-extracting marine stationary platforms,
it is necessary to consider the economical
aspect of the problem. The preliminary
calculations point out that the special capital
investments for additional equipment of the
platform for fish-farming are insignificant, and
the high degree of automation can save
considerable funds spent for attending
personnel.

Technical characteristics of the

modern «Sadco» system

The submersible system «Sadco» can be

successfully applied for fish-farming even in
regions where waves reach 15 m in height.
The special mooring system (without heavy Fig. 10. Waterproof feed-storage bin

June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 39

Aquaculture technology
Fig. 11. Underwater feed distributor
Fig. 12. Service buoy for cage farm support
40 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006
anchors) provide cages underwater
positioning and safety at not too high costs.
The observations show that, when the
«Sadco» system is used, the fish growth rate
increases, and the period of time needed to
obtain the marketable production decreases.
The living conditions of the fishes are very
close to the natural ones. As a result, the
appetite and the general psychological state
of the fishes are improved, while the risk of
disease is lowered.
The cages can be installed in groups,
thus forming a farm, and can be used in a
single autonomic variant. Farms consisting
of submersible «Sadco»-type facilities are no
obstacles for navigation and do not contrast
with the environment, unlike floating cages.
This type of a farm does not break landscape,
which makes it possible to install underwater
cages near tourist centers and recreation
zones.
Service expenses of the farm are minimal,
the cages are lifted to the water surface once
every two weeks or in case the fishes are
ready for sale. The catch and other
operations related to the service are
performed in the same way as with floating
cages. For safety and convenience of
operators, the cages working area has
walkways with hand-rail (Fig. 7).
For transportation, the steel construc-
tions are joined into packs; some parts of a
cages, in boxes. Thus, the components of
underwater facilities can be carried over by
sea, air, and land transport. As to
precautions, one can only note the
impermissibility of shaking during unloading,
as well as the necessity of storing boxes and
components of the automation system in an
enclosed space, whereas the constructions
joined in packs can be in the open air, but
under a roof.
Immersion/sur facing system
The ability of a cage to immerse and be
surfaced, as well as to change velocity of
movement in water column, is provided by
a hydrostatic water/air balance control
system in ballast cisterns partitioned into
compartments. The cisterns have kingstons
and ventilation valves with pneumatic or
manual control. The cage surfacing is
performed by delivering compressed air from
a low-pressure compressor located on a
service ship. For air delivery, steel zinc-
coated tubes and rubber-plastic hoses are
used. The water in the ballast cisterns is

Fig. 13. Scheme of using the service buoy in the structure of a fish farm
replaced by air, the cage floatability
increases, and it begins slowly emerging.
Immersion is provided by water delivery into
the ballast cisterns under the external
pressure. The air is replaced by water and
the cage becomes heavier and goes to
previously chosen depth (Fig. 8). The
parameters of the system are calculated for
each concrete water area where cages are
planned to be installed.
A cage can be stopped in intermediate
positions at different depths. The
decompression stops not only protect fishes
from a barotrauma of the swimming ladder,
but also exclude a possibility of suffering a
stress under the action of other
environmental factors. In the surface
position, only the upper part of the cage rises
above the water. Nevertheless, even such
cage position allows all operations on current
maintenance.
Net bag
A net bag, where young fishes are
contained during the whole growth period,
is attached to a cage by special hinges.
The net construction and the method of
fixation are designed to provide constant
net-bag shape and volume, even for flow
velocities of 1.5 m/s and wave heights
reaching 15 m (Fig. 9). The upper net part
is easily opened by zipper fasteners. The
net bag has a special «window» which
serves to put young fishes into it and to
catch the fishes ready for sale. The mesh
size depends on the species and size of
the fish bred in the cage.
The maximum cell volume efficiency is
achieved in the absence of «idle zones»
which are avoided by the fish under adverse
weather conditions. The net always remains
tense irrespective of waves and flows. It
neither moves nor disturbs or frightens the
fishes even during the storm. The
underwater cage position lowers the
possibility of net biofouling and reduces the
degree of destructive effect of solar
radiation. All these measures double the
yield of marketable fish from unit volume.
Conditions of working medium:
Water temperature: from +4° to +35° C
June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 41
Biology
Air temperature: from –15° to +50° C
Humidity: 100%
Depth of submergence: to 30 m
Wind velocity: 35 m/s
Flow velocity: 1.5 m/s
Admissible wave height:
-on the surface – 2 m;
-in submerged state – 15 m.
Underwater feed distributor
The underwater feed distribution system
serves for both its storage and dosed
distribution. It provides regular fish feeding
even during storms, excluding feed
withdrawal outside a cage. The system
consists of a sealed bin (Fig. 10) 2000-4000 l
in volume (about 1.5—3 t of feed) and an
underwater feed distributor with volume
dosing (Fig. 11). The feed distributor is
made of anticorrosive steel and nonferrous
metals and allows feeding in the volume of
3 l at a time. Compressed air for a
pneumatic drive is delivered from a cylinder
through hoses. The cylinder can be installed
either on the working area of the cage or
Aquaculture technology
The presence of a buoy of support
enables one to control the fish feeding
and the immersion or emersion of each
individual cage. It can contain automatic
systems such as antenna, transmitter,
computer, storage batteries (and solar
batteries or a wind generator as an
alternative energy source) (see the
scheme in Fig. 13). In case 2-4 cages are
installed, the delivery can contain a
simpler buoy used during the cage
emersion. If the farm is located near the
coast, the system of support can be
mounted without a buoy, in coastal
construction.

Automatic system and software support

A cage farm an automatic SADCO-

AFMS system making it possible to
control the feeding process in both
surface and underwater positions in
accordance with the program and
commands introduced by an operator. It
also controls and informs about the state
of environment medium and the cage
technical parameters to a land-based
computer. Moreover, it enables one to
transfer video pictures from underwater
video cameras to the buoy of support and
further (by radio communication) to the
land computer. All this provides a
possibility of observing the feeding
process and the behavior and state of the
fishes in the cage and allows cage farm
monitoring and remote control. The
system makes it possible to visually
determine an instant of satiation of the
fishes and work out the optimum
parameters of feeding.
The original Sadco-Manager program
Fig. 14 (a, b). Inter face of the Sadco-Manager program calculates the number of daily feeding cycles,
determines the amount of feed needed for
each cage according to the amount of fishes,
on sea bottom. The cylinder is filled by a Air pressure in the system: 6-10 kg/cm2 their weight, the specified growth coefficient,
high-pressure compressor installed on the Battery voltage: 24 V the feed coefficient, and the water
service ship. Battery power: 160 A h. temperature (Figs. 14a and 14b). The feed
doses are chosen in accordance with the
Technical characteristics of the feed Buoy of support required time of feeding and the amount of
distributor: feed to be given. The additional instructions
There are different complements of cage for the user given by the system are specified
Water salinity: 0-38% facilities. A farm consisting of several cages with reference to each cage. Frequent
Bin volume: 2000 l and located in the open sea includes, as a feeding by smaller doses decreases the level
feed dose: 3 l rule, a special buoy of support where all of accumulation of organic substances
Bin sizes: 2.2 m systems of electricity supply and operation around the cage. The intensity of feeding
Feed concentration: 0.7—0.9 t/m3 of cages are combined. The buoy of support can be varied by an operator in real time in
Distributor size: 0.2 m is the only part of the underwater farm, which accordance with the appetite of fishes and
Hatch size: 0.5 m is constantly on the water surface (Fig. 12). the optimum time of feeding.

42 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006

 Biology
Menu presented on the computer
monitor allows one (by pressing
corresponding access keys) to call the
information collected in the system and
various subroutines. Automation makes
it possible to diminish overhead charges,
diminishing the use of man power.

Technical assistance

A cage can be assembled on

unequipped working areas (25 x 30 m)
near water reservoirs at a depth of at least
3.5 m and not far from the working area
of farm installation (Fig. 15). Furthermore,
the farm installation includes the study
of a marine area, the installation of
anchors, the installation of a mooring
system, the launch of cages and their
positioning in the sea, the personnel
training, the testing, and putting into
operation. The participation of a group
of mounters for coastal assembly and a
group of divers for underwater works are
necessary. The duration of works required
for the assembly and installation depends
on the number of cages, the character
Fig. 15. Assembly of a «Sadco» cage on the working area and conditions of the area, and the
weather. An averaged period of time
needed for the installation of two cages
is two to three weeks.
Equipment needed for setting into
operation and servicing the «Sadko»
system:
- a ship for cage towing to the place of
installation and for assembly and
servicing the farm;
- a high-pressure compressor for
cylinders of the automatic feed
distributor;
- a low -pressure compressor for
surfacing a cage;
- a lifting crane with the carrying
capacity of 35 t (with a crane-operator)
for ground assembly (four days for a
cage);
- two cranes with a carrying capacity of
35 t each or one crane with a carrying
capacity of 90 t for launching a cage (three
to four hours of works for a cage);
- welding equipment, gadgets, and
stairs.
The further service of an operating
system requires:
- a diver to perform a subsequent
running check of the farm;
- at least two workers for auxiliary
Fig. 16. Service ship near «Sadco - SG» cage operations.

June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 43

Aquaculture technology

Fig. 17. Experimental and industrial-scale fish-farming sites with «Sadco» systems in CIS

Service ship
In the absence of a specially equipped
ship, a fishing boat can be exploited to
serve the farm.
Length – 9-13 m
Width – 3-3.5 m
Draught – 1.2-1.4 m
Displacement – 4-6 t
Engine (Diesel) – 55-120 hp
Carrying capacity – 3 t
Velocity – 8-11 knots
The ship should be stable enough for a
crane to be installed on the deck and should
be registered in Marine Register as a ship
capable of navigation at a distance to 20
miles from a home port (Fig. 16).
Places of disposition of the «Sadco»
system
The advantage of the «Sadco» system lies
in the possibility of exploiting cages at places
where the installation of surface fish-farming
facilities is impossible. For example, in Italy,
where (in contrast to Norway or Greece) the
coastline has neither fiords nor bays
protected from storms, underwater fish-
breeding farms on the basis of the «Sadco»
system have operates successfully in open
sea since 1995. For such a large lake as
Ladoga, underwater cages became a
solution to the problem of protection from
storm waves and ice. «Sadco-3000 SG» –
type cages have recently been installed in
the mountain lake of Issyk Kul in Kyrgyzstan.
One can breed practically any species of
fishes using the underwater technology of
aquaculture which is constantly improved in
accordance with the demands of commercial
fish-breeding practice. Fig. 17 shows the
places in CIS where the experimental and
industrial facilities of fish-farming «Sadco»
systems are located. Fig. 18 demonstrates
the places of industrial fish-breeding farms
on the European territory.
In conclusion, it remains to add that the
service life of the basic cage construction
is at least 10 years before the capital
repairs. The total service life can reach 20
years. The current repairs and changes of
parts or components of a facility are
performed without dismantling the
construction.

44 • Underwater Technology & Ocean World • Vol.1 • June 2006

 Biology

Fig. 18. Disposition of cage farms using the «Sadco» system in Europe

June 2006 • Vol. 1• Underwater Technology & Ocean World • 45

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