F.T.G.C. Partners
Lantern net for pre-fattening
oyster spat in the open sea
In early 2008, France Turbot, a Noirmoutier company supplying oyster spat decided to establish itself on the market of techniques for pre-fattening oysters in the open sea.
The company F.T.G.C. was set up in partnership with CALIPLAST, a designer and manufacturer of plastic parts near Nantes, and GUIEAU, an oyster farming company based in Aiguillon-sur-Mer.
Two patents have been filed, one on the principle of lantern nets, and the other on an extremely simple and effective device for hanging the tubular net during seeding.
Why ?
Market demand for pre-fattened spat is profitable and promising.
With pre-fattened spat, the breeding cycles are short, the turnover is high and the volume produced increases quickly.
Under what conditions ?
We believe that pre-fattening should take place in the open water :
Growth is rapid, and concessions can be smaller as the water column is used efficiently.
Rapid rotation guarantees that the volumes produced in the nurseries can be used effectively.
Advantages of the pre-fattening lantern net
After testing several types of systems (bags, cages, Australian systems, pearl nets, Chilean lantern nets, rigid lantern nets, etc.), France Turbot opted for FTGC lantern nets :
- This system saves time when it comes to fattening spat. If the spat are in pouches in the intertidal zone they depend on the tide for their growth, whereas with this system of permanently submerged lantern nets, they grow much more quickly.
- These lantern nets are less costly than other systems (pouches, cages, etc).
- The food supply in the open sea is between 1 and 5 metres deep, hence the advantage of using the lantern nets, which are between 2 and 6 metres long. The oysters also grow faster when there is an abundant food supply.
- Optimum use is made of the water column.
- With our lantern nets, the space required on land is greatly reduced.
- The batches are secure.
