TY - JOUR
T1 - ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF USING COPPER ALLOY MESH IN TROUT AQUACULTURE
T2 - CHILEAN EXAMPLE
AU - González, Exequiel P.
AU - Hurtado, Carlos Felipe
AU - Gace, Langley
AU - Augsburger, Alberto
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to thank both the International Cooper Association Ltd. (ICA, New York) and the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Chile, for funding this research. In addition, the authors would also like to thank Rodrigo Sánchez from Ecosea, Chile, and John R. H. Black from ICA for their thoughtful comments, Carlos Carroza for his collaboration in data synthesis and calculations and Victor Zamora for his detailed drawings.
PY - 2013/3
Y1 - 2013/3
N2 - Commercial aquaculture continues to expand as it strives to meet growing global demand for healthier protein. In this context, farmers are under great pressure to address problems of biofouling and predation, all while reducing operational costs and losses. Copper alloy mesh (CAM) has been shown to provide solutions to these problems, yet there has not been an in-depth study of economic benefits of adopting this new technology. This study was conducted in Chile using one 2010 grow-out cycle of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and combined productivity indicators with economic analysis based on investment theory. Results showed that CAM net yielded better productivity indexes and higher net economic benefits than those of nylon net with anti-fouling coating. Sensitivity analyses showed a greater effect on the profitability of nylon versus CAM and a reduced elasticity of pen profitability with respect to the rental cost of CAM.
AB - Commercial aquaculture continues to expand as it strives to meet growing global demand for healthier protein. In this context, farmers are under great pressure to address problems of biofouling and predation, all while reducing operational costs and losses. Copper alloy mesh (CAM) has been shown to provide solutions to these problems, yet there has not been an in-depth study of economic benefits of adopting this new technology. This study was conducted in Chile using one 2010 grow-out cycle of trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and combined productivity indicators with economic analysis based on investment theory. Results showed that CAM net yielded better productivity indexes and higher net economic benefits than those of nylon net with anti-fouling coating. Sensitivity analyses showed a greater effect on the profitability of nylon versus CAM and a reduced elasticity of pen profitability with respect to the rental cost of CAM.
KW - copper alloy mesh adoption
KW - economic analysis
KW - trout aquaculture
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84873896868&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/13657305.2013.747227
DO - 10.1080/13657305.2013.747227
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84873896868
SN - 1365-7305
VL - 17
SP - 71
EP - 86
JO - Aquaculture Economics and Management
JF - Aquaculture Economics and Management
IS - 1
ER -