NET Systems, Inc. today introduced the PREDATOR-X, a proprietary shark-resistant netting material that protects fish being raised in submerged open-ocean aquaculture cages.
By resisting destructive tearing, cutting and penetrations by sharks, PREDATOR-X overcomes a major hurdle in open-ocean fish farming in temperate and tropical waters.
PREDATOR-X is a hybrid of Dyneema® high-strength polyethylene fibers and stainless steel wire. This lightweight, flexible, high-strength barrier is based on NET Systems’ existing Ultra Cross Knotless Netting platform.
Available immediately, PREDATOR-X was developed collaboratively by NET Systems and DSM Dyneema, and field tested by scientists with the Cape Eleuthera Institute (CEI). NET Systems’ President Dan Oliver introduced the product here at the Aquaculture America 2012 conference, the only major aquaculture conference in the United States.
The PREDATOR-X net has been installed on CEI’s aquaculture cage in The Bahamas, where a full-scale grow out of cobia stock is underway. It was designed to withstand attacks from predators such as sharks, and this same technology can be used for crocodiles, seals, sea lions and piranhas.
It also can eliminate the need for exterior perimeter anti-predator barriers, saving costs and making maintenance safer and easier, according to Oliver.
NET Systems’ Ultra Cross is a highly advanced, four-strand, braided, continuous filament, knotless netting used in heavy-duty commercial fishing applications, as well as in aquaculture.
The steel strands resist abrasion and cutting by the predator’s tooth while Dyneema® fibers contribute strength at significantly lighter weight.
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