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Regal Springs wins Aquaculture Innovation Award for Advancing Tilapia Welfare

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Aquaculture Magazine reports:

International company Regal Springs announced that it has been awarded the prestigious Aquaculture Innovation by the NGO Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) for its pioneering efforts in animal welfare. The award, presented some days ago, recognizes Regal Springs’ significant advancements in the humane treatment of tilapia, particularly at the critical stage of harvest.

“Our animal-welfare-focused approach has delivered this remarkable milestone, and we hope it will encourage others in the industry to follow suit,” commented on the recognition Laurent Develle, Head of Corporate Affairs at Regal Springs.

This achievement follows three years of intensive research and development in collaboration with ACE Aquatec, the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA, and formerly known as GAA), Nautilus Collaboration and the Centre for Responsible Seafood (TCRS). This multi-stakeholder partnership led to the creation, manufacture, and installation of an innovative electric stunner. The stunner ensures that all Regal Springs tilapia is humanely stunned before harvest, significantly reducing stress at one of the most challenging points in their farming cycle.

Implemented in Indonesia, Mexico and Honduras

The electric stunning technology has been fully implemented at all Regal Springs farming sites in Indonesia, Mexico and Honduras. To date, it has improved the welfare of over 20 million tilapias, becoming an integral part of the company’s global operations. This innovation reflects Regal Springs’ ongoing commitment to sustainable aquaculture practices and sets a new benchmark for the humane treatment of farmed fish.

The Fish Welfare Research manager at Compassion in World Farming, Daniel Sanchez, praised Regal Springs’ efforts: “The new Aquaculture Innovation Awards could not have a better first winner. We celebrate the initiative demonstrated by Regal Springs in adapting and implementing a humane slaughter method through all their production. A clear example to follow for the wider aquaculture industry.”

According to the company, Regal Springs’ commitment to improving animal welfare, alongside its dedication to sustainable farming, is backed by the efforts of its technical and operational teams. “These teams invested significant time—spanning months of work and countless extra hours—perfecting the electric stunning process efficiencies. A major challenge in this effort has been fine-tuning the stunner design to match the varying power infrastructure across different countries.”

They said that, in addition to the welfare benefits for tilapia, Regal Springs has seen unexpected advantages, including a longer shelf life for its Naturally Better Tilapia and a reduction in the use of cleaning agents, further minimizing its environmental impact. “Regal Springs continues to lead the way in promoting the highest standards of fish welfare and sustainable practices, with a global impact on the aquaculture industry.”

Certifications

To produce their “naturally better tilapia”, they invested heavily in a responsible aquaculture system, which controls the multiple stages of the farming process. Regal Springs tilapia is certified by the world’s leading health and safety bodies, verifying that they raise and prepare their fish to the highest international standards.

Regal Springs partnered with the Global Sustainable Seafood Initiative (GSSI), providing an integrated seafood certification scheme that meets the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization’s (FAO) Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries and FAO Ecolabelling Guidelines.

They also obtained the certifications of the Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and the Global Seafood Alliances Best Aquaculture Practice Standards, fulfilling GSSI benchmark requirements; and the British Retail Council Global Standards (BRCGS), among others.

Indonesia

Some weeks ago, and in a strategic initiative to advance sustainable aquaculture, Regal Springs Indonesia has fortified its commitment by forging significant partnerships with premier Indonesian universities. Regal Springs Indonesia signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of North Sumatra (Universitas Sumatera Utara or USU) and a Master Cooperation Agreement with the Faculty of Fisheries and Marine Sciences at IPB University (Institut Pertanian Bogor).

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