Ace Aquatec drives transition to humane slaughter in shrimp sector
18 December 2024
Ace Aquatec has installed a portable, high-tonnage prawn stunner at a Thailand farm, delivering greater efficiency and better welfare standards.
The Shrimp Humane Universal Stunner (A-HSU®) has been developed from an earlier Ace Aquatec prototype and adapted to the specific needs of the client. As a supplier to Marks & Spencer, the producer was looking to improve its harvest practices, reflecting increasing awareness globally of the need to transition towards humane slaughter for shrimp.
Ace Aquatec, which announced a partnership in August with the Shrimp Welfare Project to expand access to humane stunning solutions among shrimp farmers, was approached to provide the technology. Ace Aquatec had already trialled its two-tonne shrimp stunner with German client Neomar, and offered to supply the Thai producer with a similar model but with larger capacity.
‘Our prototype was a factory-based system but following discussions, we realised we needed a stunner that could also operate pond-side and be capable of handling bigger volumes,’ said Michael Rennie, Ace Aquatec Director of Engineering. ‘The roads are not in the best condition in remote areas and a lot of shrimp stunning happens pond side, typically by immersion in ice-water slurry.
‘We ended up creating a system that works both in the factory and beside the ponds, which also then has the benefit of doing away with live haul transportation, where there is a countdown to get the prawns to their destination in good health and condition. The system is trailer mounted so is easily transportable, easy to use and clean. It can handle up to eight tonnes an hour throughput with a 100 per cent stun rate, and is designed to work with a range of salinities.’
In October, Rennie went to the farm to install the in-water stunner and feedback from the producer has been overwhelmingly positive, confirming that shrimps are stunned unconscious in less than a second, there is reduced handling, and therefore less stress, delivering better quality.
‘We’ve learned a lot from this first deployment but the design was very well suited to the application so we’re happy with the performance, production and the manufacturing,’ he said.
Ace Aquatec Chief Sales and Marketing Officer Tara McGregor-Woodhams said the A-HSU® was a game-changer for farmed shrimp, one of the world’s top aquaculture species.
‘What sets our system apart is its portability - being able to get the technology pond-side not only addresses logistical challenges but improves transparency in the supply chain. Thanks to the free stunner initiative from the Shrimp Welfare Project, which aims to provide 24 shrimp producers across the globe with an electrical stunner, free of charge and on a limited time basis until the end of 2025, there is now a global drive to overhaul welfare during harvest.
‘We had valuable input from them and Crustacean Compassion, another UK animal welfare organisation, which has helped raise awareness. We’re now seeing retailers and producers approaching us to facilitate a humane electrical stunning process for these animals and we’re proud to be at the forefront of driving change, making humane stunning solutions accessible to shrimp farmers worldwide.’
Krzysztof Wojtas, Chief Programmes Officer at the Shrimp Welfare Project said the partnership with Ace Aquatec is part of their broader mission to support shrimp farmers in adopting humane harvesting methods. By introducing technology like this stunning system, they are helping producers not only improve shrimp welfare but also streamline their operations in ways that can benefit the entire industry.
Ace Aquatec is now in talks with existing and potential clients in Asia and in South America to install further Shrimp A-HSU® systems. The Shrimp Welfare Project, which funded the installation, is on a mission to accelerate the adoption of electrical stunning for shrimp industry-wide.
