The Chilean government's copper agency, Codelco, has an agreement with the Salmon Institute of Technology to manufacture cages for raising these fish with a special copper alloy that is more resistant to contamination than traditional cages, made from synthetic fibers and galvanized steel. With an investment of 20 million dollars, five cages will begin use in March at five salmon farms in the south of Chile, the world's leader in copper production, and second in salmon.

The new cages cost 40 percent more than the conventional types, but they may reduce losses in salmon from “fouling” (contamination from algae, shellfish and bacteria) by 30 to 40 percent, said Victor Pérez, marketing director for Codelco and president of ProCobre-Chile, the entity promoting copper.