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close this bookBetter Farming Series 38 - Better Freshwater Fish Farming: Raising Fish in Pens and Cages (FAO, 1990, 83 p.)
close this folderCages
View the document(introduction...)
View the documentBuilding a cage
View the documentCarrying small fish
View the documentPutting baby fish into your cage
View the documentFeeding fish in cages
View the documentTaking care of the fish and cage
View the documentHarvesting fish in cages
View the documentNow you must begin again
View the documentRaising your own baby fish in cages

Harvesting fish in cages

174. If you have used baby fish 8 to 10 centimeters long or weighing about 15 to 20 grams and have fed them well, they will be ready for harvest in about five months. At this time the fish will weigh 100 to 150 grams each.

175. If you want to harvest only some of your fish, use a small hand net and collect what you want without moving the cage.


collect what fish you want without moving the cage

176. If you want to harvest all of your fish and your cage is small enough, pull it into shallow water and begin to collect the fish using a small hand net.


collect some of the fish after moving the cage to shallow water

177. When you have collected most of the fish, you can lift the cage out of the water and collect the rest.


then, collect the rest of the fish after moving the cage out of the water

178. If your cage is too big to lift out of the water, pull it into shallow water as far as you can and collect the remaining fish.


if your cage is too big you may have to collect all of the fish in shallow water

Note If you do not need all of your fish, harvest only what you need and leave the rest in the cage. Fish can be left in a cage as long as you continue to feed them.