Biofoulers in Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
Doren Anderson
Campbell River Netloft Ltd.
Salmon farming is a major agricultural industry in Campbell River. The profitability of salmon aquaculture is heavily affected by the degree of biofouling. Manual removal of the fouling attachments is crucial to preventing mortality in the farmed salmon, as the biofoulers, such as ascidians, tunicates and mussels clog the nets and prevent free exchange of seawater. Manual cleaning the nets is becoming a major cost item as farmers tend to avoid use of coatings containing biocides and cuprous oxide to meet the objectives of an ecofriendly sustainable approach to salmon farming in British Columbia.
By far, the biggest single biggest biofouling issue in Campbell River is the overgrowth of mussels. In just a few short months, the nets can be overgrown with mussels, as you see in these series of examples here.
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