Using electric stunning to increase fish welfare and processing speed

21 September 2022

Challenge

The Scottish Sea Farms team approached us to explore any ways in-water electric stunning could improve their existing harvest process.

They already had a hand-fed automatic bleeding system and any new additions needed to integrate with their existing factory set-up.

Solution

We worked the local team to understand their current harvest process and desired outcomes. They told us their priorities were to meet the highest animal welfare standards and reduce risk to their employees by minimising stress experienced by the fish.

We designed a system to fit into their existing factory that used electricity to stun the fish before they left the water.  A key requirement was that when fish left the stunning pipe they would be alive but entirely sedate and unconscious, allowing the factory staff to easily channel each fish into the bleeders.

Results

Our A-HSU® electric stunner rendered all fish unconscious before leaving the water, meaning the highest possible welfare standards were being met.  It also achieved their goal of reducing the inherent risks faced by staff who have to handle large stressed fish.

As well as these planned successes, the Scottish Sea Farms team found the electric stunner doubled their harvest rate due to how much easier it was to handle stunned fish.

Scottish Sea Farms asked us to install a second stunner at another processing site shortly after seeing the results of this first installation.