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By Ace Aquatec
Aquaculture technology specialists Ace Aquatec have partnered with Shrimp Welfare Project to expand access to humane stunning solutions amongst shrimp producers globally.
The collaboration reflects a growing understanding in the industry around the need to introduce more humane slaughter methods for shrimp, one of the world’s most widely produced aquatic species for human consumption.
Immersion in ice-water slurry remains a common method of slaughter around the world, but concerns are growing that this technique may not sufficiently stun decapods during the slaughter process.
With over 400 billion shrimp farmed each year, Ace Aquatec places a strong focus on their welfare, since they, like any other conscious animal, can feel pain through the harvesting process. Ace Aquatec’s Prawn Humane Stunner Universal (A-HSUTM) provides effective, safe and rapid in-water stunning solutions, stunning the shrimp unconscious in less than a second and reducing handling, and therefore stress.
Shrimp Welfare Project 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, provided that they are willing and able to use the devices with some basic requirements. Producers need to be committed to a minimum stunned volume of 2,000 metric tonnes per annum and improving welfare practices to the best of their capacity.
Shrimp Welfare Project seeks to accelerate the adoption of electrical stunning for shrimp industry-wide and has so far provided producers in Latin America and Southeast Asia with access to stunning equipment.
Tara McGregor-Woodhams, CSMO at Ace Aquatec said: “We’re proud to be collaborating with Shrimp Welfare Project to further our mutual goal of making humane stunning solutions accessible to shrimp farmers everywhere. With evidence pointing to shrimps’ sentience, and their sensitivity to inadequate slaughter methods, there’s an acute need to revolutionise shrimp slaughter processes globally. This partnership is taking steps to address the issue on an industry-wide scale, and we hope to expand it further in the coming months and years.”
Krzysztof Wojtas, Head of Programmes at Shrimp Welfare Project added:
“We are excited to partner with Ace Aquatec. Humane slaughter of animals is crucial for maintaining good welfare throughout the entire process. We are keen to actively collaborate with the shrimp farming industry and support them in making the transition towards humane slaughter. This partnership is a significant step in advancing our mission, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact it will have on shrimp welfare globally.”
About Ace Aquatec
Ace Aquatec is a cutting-edge aquaculture technology company. They partner with world-leading experts in various scientific fields to apply technological developments to aquaculture and marine industries. They design products to make fish farming more efficient and humane while protecting the environment. Their award-winning in-water electric stunners guarantee humane harvesting.
Their underwater Biomass cameras provide farmers with accurate biomass of their fish as they grow helping improved feeding & harvesting. Their acoustic devices provide welfare-first sound technology to protect marine environments during offshore construction and move seals away from salmon farms.
From their head office in Dundee, Scotland, Ace Aquatec manages global R&D projects, manufacturing at two UK factories, and co-ordinates installers, engineers, and distributors of their products worldwide.
About Shrimp Welfare Project UK
Shrimp Welfare Project is the first nonprofit focusing exclusively on the welfare of farmed shrimp. They support the industry to create and adopt better welfare practices.
The Humane Slaughter Initiative, one of the main areas of their work, aims to promote the adoption of electrical stunning technology in the shrimp industry by providing the first electrical stunners for certain eligible producers. They also help retailers and suppliers create corporate policies that are adjusted for welfare.
Their Farmer Support programme involves working with small-scaled farmers to directly improve shrimp welfare in their farms by providing free-of-charge services in water quality management and knowledge sharing.
They recently launched the Welfare Index, a tool to help relevant stakeholders benchmark and improve their farmed vannamei welfare practices or sourcing during the grow-out phase.
Media Enquiries
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