DESC:TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure relates, in general, to the field of culture cages for aquaculture. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a cage culture arrangement for free movement of aquatic life reared for aquaculture.

BACKGROUND
[0002] Background description includes information that may be useful in understanding the present invention. It is not an admission that any of the information provided herein is prior art or relevant to the presently claimed invention, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
[0003] Aquaculture is a fast-growing industry born to cater to consumers of seafood where fish are grown from fingerlings to adulthood in cage cultures or pen cultures. Cage culture and pen culture are types of enclosure culture and involve holding culturable aquatic life captive within an enclosed space whilst maintaining a free exchange of water and nutrients. The two methods (cage and pen culture), however, are distinct from one another. A cage is totally enclosed on all sides by mesh or netting, whereas in pen culture, the bottom of the enclosure is formed by the waterbed of the lake or sea bottom.
[0004] In many parts of the world, the only water available is flowing water or large bodies of water, where fish culture is impracticable, and it is also not possible to divert this water into pond. In these waters, therefore, cage culture and pen culture are practiced.
[0005] A limitation of using cage culture is a frequent need to renew the water contained in the cage due to accumulation of unconsumed food and excreta of the aquatic life, and a decrease in the quantity of dissolved oxygen in the water due to lack of adequate movement of the water.
[0006] A limitation of using pen culture is loss of aquatic life being cultured because of escape from the pens or due to attack by predators.
[0007] There is, therefore, a requirement in the art for a means for aquaculture where the aquatic life being cultured is allowed to grow in healthy conditions without requirement for significant maintenance, while also providing adequate protection against loss of the aquatic life.
[0008] All publications herein are incorporated by reference to the same extent as if each individual publication or patent application were specifically and individually indicated to be incorporated by reference. Where a definition or use of a term in an incorporated reference is inconsistent or contrary to the definition of that term provided herein, the definition of that term provided herein applies and the definition of that term in the reference does not apply.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION
[0009] A general object of the present invention is to provide a cage culture arrangement for aquaculture.
[00010] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cage for aquaculture that facilitates free movement of aquatic life contained in it.
[00011] Another object of the present invention is to provide a net structure that allows for increased space for movement of aquatic life contained in a cage culture for aquaculture.
[00012] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cage for aquaculture that prevents foreign contamination into the cage.
[00013] Another object of the present invention is to provide a cage for aquaculture that prevents escape of aquatic life contained in the cage.

SUMMARY
[00014] The present disclosure relates to culture cages for aquaculture. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a cage culture arrangement for free movement of aquatic life reared for aquaculture.
[00015] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a cage culture arrangement, which includes a cage adapted for containment of aquatic life, said cage being an enclosure, wherein at least one wall of the cage is provided with one or more vents; and a netting structure adapted to form an enclosed space in a vicinity of the cage. The netting structure can include one or more openings. The cage culture arrangement can further include one or more connectors. The connectors can be adapted to couple the one or more vents with corresponding one or more openings to facilitate movement of the aquatic life contained in the cage between the cage and the enclosed space formed by the netting structure.
[00016] In an embodiment, the cage is adapted to allow movement of water through it.
[00017] In another embodiment, the enclosed space formed by the netting structure is adapted to allow movement of water through it.
[00018] In an embodiment, the one or more connectors (116) can be ducts.
[00019] In another embodiment, the netting structure can be made of a netting panel with a C-shaped profile made by bending the netting panel in a same direction, at two parallel lines along length of the netting panel.
[00020] In another embodiment, at least one wall of the cage can be a cover mesh.
[00021] In another embodiment, the cage and the netting structure can be made of twines made of a polymer such as a polyolefin selected from a group comprising polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, and a combination thereof.
[00022] In another embodiment, the netting structure can be made of a material that has a predefined weight to facilitate uniform sinking of the netting structure in the water.
[00023] Various objects, features, aspects, and advantages of the inventive subject matter will become more apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments, along with the accompanying drawing figures in which like numerals represent like components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS
[00024] The accompanying drawings are included to provide a further understanding of the present invention and are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification. The drawings illustrate exemplary embodiments of the present invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the present invention.
[00025] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary representation of a vent-based cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00026] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary netting panel structure of a protective net structure of the proposed cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00027] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of a protective net structure of the cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00028] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary representation of a cage of the proposed cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00029] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary representation of a duct of the proposed cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.
[00030] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary representation of a cover of a cage of the proposed cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[00031] The following is a detailed description of embodiments of the disclosure depicted in the accompanying drawings. The embodiments are in such detail as to clearly communicate the disclosure. However, the amount of detail offered is not intended to limit the anticipated variations of embodiments; on the contrary, the intention is to cover all modifications, equivalents, and alternatives falling within the spirit and scope of the present disclosure as defined by the appended claims.
[00032] Exemplary embodiments will now be described more fully hereinafter with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which exemplary embodiments are shown. This disclosure may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. These embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete and will fully convey the scope of the disclosure to those of ordinary skill in the art. Moreover, all statements herein reciting embodiments of the disclosure, as well as specific examples thereof, are intended to encompass both structural and functional equivalents thereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include both currently known equivalents as well as equivalents developed in the future (i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardless of structure).
[00033] Embodiments explained herein relate culture cages for aquaculture. In particular, it pertains to a cage culture arrangement for free movement of aquatic life reared for aquaculture.
[00034] In an aspect, the present disclosure provides a cage culture arrangement which includes a cage adapted for containment of aquatic life, the cage being an enclosure, wherein at least one wall of the cage is provided with one or more vents; and a netting structure adapted to form an enclosed space in a vicinity of the cage, said netting structure comprising one or more openings. One or more connectors, adapted to couple the one or more vents of the cage with corresponding one or more opening of the net, facilitate movement of the aquatic life contained in the cage between the cage and the enclosed space formed by the netting structure.
[00035] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary representation of the proposed vent-based cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cage culture set-up (hereinafter, also referred to as cage culture arrangement) 100 includes an aquatic cage 102 (hereinafter, also referred to as “cage”) which is configured with a protective net structure 104 (hereinafter, also referred to as “net”).
[00036] In another embodiment, the net 104 can be made of a netting material forming a netting wall/ netting panel 106. The netting material of the net 104 can be bent along two parallel lines, and along the same direction to form two side walls 108-1, and 108-2, which are perpendicular to a third side wall 108-3 of the net 104.
[00037] In another embodiment, the net 104, on each of the side walls 108-1 and 108-2, is provided with one or more openings. In an exemplary instance of the present disclosure, the side wall 108-1 is provided with one opening 110-1 and the side walls 108-2 is provided with one opening 110-2. The net 104 can be secured against a structure such as a wall, or a wall of a water body, or a waterbed.
[00038] In another embodiment, the cage 102 can be provided with a one or more vent openings on at least one of its walls. In an exemplary instance of the present disclosure, one vent 112 is provided on a wall 114 of the cage 102. The vent (hereinafter, also referred to as vent opening) 112 of the cage 102 can be connected with one of the openings 110-1 and 110-2 of the net 104 using a connector/duct 116 to facilitate movement of the aquatic life contained in the cage 102 between the cage 102 and the enclosed space formed by the net 104. This arrangement, as described, allows for aquatic life contained in the cage 102 to move in and out of the cage 102 to allow for free movement of the aquatic life within a larger area. The arrangement also facilitates the aquatic life to be exposed to fresh food and oxygen supply.
[00039] It can be appreciated that other of the openings 110-1 and 110-2 can be connected to a second cage through a second duct (second cage and second duct not shown in figure).
[00040] In another embodiment, the cage 102 can be provided with a cover on at least one side of the cage 102. In an exemplary instance of the present disclosure, a cover 118 is provided on a top side of the cage 102. The cover 118 provides protection against foreign contamination to the inside of the cage 102, and also prevents loss of aquatic life from inside the cage 102.
[00041] Embodiments described hereunder pertain to an exemplary vent-based cage culture set-up. Particulars of the set-up such as, without limitations, dimensions, materials, structure, as mentioned hereunder shall serve as illustrations, and not as limitations. Persons skilled in the art would appreciate that the vent-based cage culture set-up of the present disclosure can have alternate embodiments, and the alternate embodiments fall within the purview of the subject matter of the present disclosure.
[00042] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary netting panel structure of the protective net structure of the cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the netting panel 106 can have a length of about 150 m, a width of about 5 m, and can be bent at two parallel lines about 25 m away from the edges of the netting panel structure, in the same direction at an angle of about 90° to form a “C-shaped” structure. In an exemplary embodiment, the net is secured against a wall of a waterbody, with a portion of the net being above the water line.
[00043] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary representation of the protective net structure of the cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The openings110-1 and 110-2 can have a cross-section of any shape, such as circular, polygonal etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the openings 110-1 and 110-2 have a square cross-section of dimensions of about 1 x 1 m. The openings 110-1 and 110-2 can be provided at a distance of about 1 m from a top surface of the net 104.
[00044] FIG. 4 illustrates an exemplary representation of the cage of the cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. In an embodiment, the cage 102 can have any shape such as cubical, cylindrical etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the cage has a cubical shape of dimensions of about 2 x 2 x 2 m.
[00045] In another embodiment, the vent 112 provided on the wall 114 can have a cross-section of any shape, such as circular, polygonal etc. In an exemplary embodiment, the vent 112 has a square cross-section of dimensions of about 0.5 x 0.5 m. The vent 112 is provided at a distance of about 1 m from top of the cage 102.
[00046] FIG. 5 illustrates an exemplary representation of the duct of the cage culture set-up, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The duct 116 can be a hollow element and is adapted to connect one of the openings 110-1 and 110-2 with the vent opening 112. In an exemplary embodiment, the duct 116, hence, has an opening side dimension of about 1 x 1 m and a vent opening side dimension of about 0.5 x 0.5 m. For instance, the duct 116 has a trapezoid shape with its length being about 1.5 m.
[00047] FIG. 6 illustrates an exemplary representation of the cover of the cage, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure. The cover 118 is adapted to fit into a top portion of the cage 102, and hence has the dimensions close to that of the side of the cage, i.e., about 2 x 2 m.
[00048] In another exemplary embodiment, the cage 102 can be constructed from a twine made of a polyolefin such as any or a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and polyester. The twine can be black coloured and have a mesh size of 16 MMKK.
[00049] In an exemplary embodiment, the netting material of the net 104 is an extrusion based polymer such polyolefins, which can be any or a combination of polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, and polyester.
[00050] In another exemplary embodiment, the top part of the net 104 can be made of a twine with a diameter of about 2.6 mm and mesh size of about 100 MMKK. The twine can be blue coloured and have a braided-knotted pattern and can be situated on the top part of the net 104, with a depth of about 1 m.
[00051] In another exemplary embodiment, a middle part of the net 104, along depth of the net 104 can be made of a twine with mesh size 16 MMKK. The twine can be black coloured. The twine can have a knotless normal knot and can be used for a wall panel as a main net panel in the middle part of the net 104. A depth of a middle wall panel can be about 3 m and about 0.5 m extends above the waterline for protection of feed of the aquatic life.
[00052] In another exemplary embodiment, a bottom part of the net 104 can be black coloured, for UV protection, and can be made of a nylon knotless twine, which has a 30 ply and a mesh size of 15 MMKK. The bottom part of the net 104 has a depth of about 1 m. The bottom part of the net 104 is made heavy to keep the net 104 near the waterbed, and to facilitate uniform sinking of the net 104 throughout the length of the net 104.
[00053] In another exemplary embodiment, the cut-outs like the vent opening 112 and the openings 110-1 and 110-2 are bordered by a green coloured, 3-strand rope of dimeter of about 12 mm, which is made of a polyolefin. This rope is also used for the borders of the net 104 and the cage 102.
[00054] In another exemplary embodiment, the cut-outs like the vent 112 and the openings 110-1 and 110-2 can be only partially cut, such as, cut from three sides, leaving a fourth side bonded with the wall, such that the cut-outs can be selectively blocked and unblocked, as required.
[00055] In another exemplary embodiment, lead ropes can be used to keep the net 104 near the waterbed. The lead ropes weigh about 1Kg/m and the weight facilitates uniform sinking of the net 104 throughout the length of the net 104.
[00056] It should be apparent to those skilled in the art that many more modifications besides those already described are possible without departing from the inventive concepts herein. The inventive patent matter, therefore, is not to be restricted except in the spirit of the appended claims. Moreover, in interpreting both the specification and the claims, all terms should be interpreted in the broadest possible manner consistent with the context. In particular, the terms “includes” and “including” should be interpreted as referring to elements, components, or steps in a non-exclusive manner, indicating that the referenced elements, components, or steps may be present, or utilized, or combined with other elements, components, or steps that are not expressly referenced. Where the specification claims refer to at least one of something selected from the group consisting of A, B, C ….and N, the text should be interpreted as requiring only one element from the group, not A plus N, or B plus N, etc. The foregoing description of the specific embodiments will so fully reveal the general nature of the embodiments herein that others can, by applying current knowledge, readily modify and/or adapt for various applications such specific embodiments without departing from the generic concept, and, therefore, such adaptations and modifications should and are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the disclosed embodiments. It is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not of limitation. Therefore, while the embodiments herein have been described in terms of preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art will recognize that the embodiments herein can be practised with modification within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.
[00057] While the foregoing describes various embodiments of the invention, other and further embodiments of the invention may be devised without departing from the basic scope thereof. The scope of the invention is determined by the claims that follow. The invention is not limited to the described embodiments, versions, or examples, which are included to enable a person having ordinary skill in the art to make and use the invention when combined with information and knowledge available to the person having ordinary skill in the art.

ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
[00058] The present invention provides a cage culture arrangement for aquaculture.
[00059] The present invention provides a cage for aquaculture that facilitates free movement of aquatic life contained in it.
[00060] The present invention provides a net structure that allows for increased space for movement of aquatic life contained in a cage culture for aquaculture.
[00061] The present invention provides a cage for aquaculture that prevents foreign contamination into the cage.
[00062] The present invention provides a cage for aquaculture that prevents escape of aquatic life contained in the cage.
,CLAIMS:1. A cage culture arrangement (100) comprising:
a cage (102) adapted for containment of aquatic life, at least one wall (114) of the cage (102) is provided with one or more vents (112);
a netting structure (104) adapted to form an enclosed space in a vicinity of the cage (102), said netting structure (104) comprising one or more openings (110-1, 110-2); and
one or more connectors (116) adapted to connect the one or more vents (112) of the cage (102) with the corresponding one or more openings (110-1, 110-2) of the netting structure (104) to allow movement of the aquatic life contained in the cage (102) between the cage (102) and the enclosed space formed by the netting structure (104).
2. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the one or more connectors (116) are ducts.
3. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cage (102) is adapted to allow movement of water through the cage (102).
4. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the enclosed space formed by the netting structure (104) is adapted to allow movement of water through the enclosed space.
5. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the netting structure (104) is made of a netting panel with a C-shaped profile made by bending a netting panel (106) in a same direction, at two parallel lines along length of the netting panel (106).
6. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cage (102) is an enclosure.
7. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein at least one wall (118) of the cage (102) is a cover mesh, and wherein the cover mesh (118) is detachably configured with other side walls of the cage (102).

8. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the cage (102) and the netting structure (104) is made of twines made of a polymer including a polyolefin selected from a group comprising polyethylene, polypropylene, nylon, polyester, and a combination thereof.
9. The cage culture arrangement (100) as claimed in claim 1, wherein the netting structure (104) is made of a material that has a predefined weight to facilitate uniform sinking of the netting structure (104) in the water.