Cultivating Palmaria palmata - Bord Iascaigh Mhara

5.4 Maintenance and cleaning of longlines
Monthly checks and periodic inspections are necessary for maintenance. During the growing season, it is
advisable to check connections of anchor ropes to the header rope, and attachment of buoys to the ropes for
wear and tear. Buoy attachment ropes should be replaced if they are very worn or frayed. Periodic inspection of
the anchors and chain connections by divers are required as metal parts corrode in seawater and attachments
can break. Consequently, shackles should be replaced every 1-2 years as failure during the growing season can
end in loss of whole longlines. Longlines can be moved or dragged out of position if a medium-sized or large
vessel ties up to it. It is therefore advisable to assess the tension of the headrope occasionally and either
reposition the anchors, or tighten the header rope if necessary.
During the routine visits, the header ropes should be checked for growth of fouling algae and entangled floating
seaweed. These should be removed frequently as they add surplus weight to the longlines and increase the
drag. The kelps Saccharina latissima and Saccorhiza polyschides are often found as fouling algae, as well as
smaller red algae. Other species of seaweeds frequently become entangled with the headrope, e.g. Ascophyllum
nodosum, Fucus species, Himanthalia and Chorda. The species composition depends on the site.
Settlement of mussel spat and sea squirts is also common (especially on the weights attached to droppers or
nets) and should be removed as the longlines will become significantly weighed down. Headropes may be
removed at the end of the growing season if the lines are not used for cultivating of other species. Storage of the
ropes on land will ensure that fouling organisms will be completely dried up, so that they can be easily removed
before re-deployment for the following culture season.
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