Ace Aquatec and Piszolla partnership takes sustainable Spanish trout from pond to plate
02 August 2024
Aquaculture technology innovators Ace Aquatec are making waves in Spain, after sealing a deal with Aqualande-owned trout farmer Piszolla to install the company’s first stunning system.
Ace Aquatec’s award-winning Humane Stunner Universal (A-HSU®) will be used at Piszolla’s open pond farming site in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca, marking its first venture into the Spanish market as the Dundee-based company continues to expand the presence of its innovative humane stunning products in Europe.
Piszolla, which was acquired by Aqualande in 2018, produces approximately 5,000 tonnes of trout per year which are supplied year-round to markets across Europe and also provides high-end smoked trout, a premium product sold to major supermarket chains.
With demand for ethically harvested fish growing in Europe, the installation reflects a growing trend towards higher standards of welfare in Spain and the Mediterranean region - a movement which Ace Aquatec’s technology is helping to facilitate. Ace Aquatec’s A-HSU® device stuns fish unconscious in less than a second, minimising handling requirements and thereby reducing stress for the fish, as well as enabling a safer and more efficient harvesting process.
Ace Aquatec and Piszolla’s relationship began at the 2022 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, and, with Europe likely to see the introduction of stronger welfare regulations in the coming years, the installation reinforces Piszolla’s position as trailblazers of more humane and sustainable practices in the Spanish trout farming industry.
Julio Hernandez, Regional Manager at Piszolla, said: "The installation of Ace Aquatec's trout stunner will enable us not only to streamline our operations, but also to break new ground for animal welfare standards in Spain. We aspire to be pioneers of humane harvesting standards in this region, and this technology is set to have a huge impact for us in terms of generating high-quality, high-welfare and sustainable products for consumers globally".
Tara McGregor-Woodhams, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Ace Aquatec, added: “Piszolla’s steadfast commitment to enhancing welfare standards in their Spanish site closely aligns with our ethos of providing humane and sustainable aquaculture solutions, and we’re excited to be helping them to pave the way towards humane slaughter in Spain. Julio leads a forward-thinking, progressively minded team who are at the forefront of change in the region, and we’re looking forward to seeing where this new partnership will lead us”.
Their first installation in Spain adds to Ace Aquatec’s growing global presence, joining existing partnerships in Greece, Chile and Australia, amongst others.
