By Ace Aquatec
Sea Farms, a shrimp farm based in Thailand has become the first to install Ace Aquatec’s innovative stunning system through a partnership with the Shrimp Welfare Project. This collaboration is part of an ongoing programme aimed at enhancing access to humane stunning solutions for shrimp producers globally.
Ace Aquatec’s new A-HSU® for Shrimp is a small, self- contained, transportable system for humanely stunning crustaceans prior to slaughter which has been adapted and developed in collaboration with this market. The first of its kind for the region, the system is the result of close liaison and consultation with the shrimp farming industry.
The entire unit comprises an entrance chute; stun tube; de-waterer; water collection tank; pump; power unit, and touch screen control system and is mounted on a small trailer, which allows the unit to be moved easily from factory to pond-side. The unit has been designed to withstand robust biosecurity measures and protocols and can process at a rate up to eight tonnes per hour.
With over 400 billion shrimp farmed each year globally, the new portable system provides effective, safe and rapid in-water stunning in less than a second, reducing handling and therefore stress.
Through the partnership, Sea Farms in Thailand are the first to deploy the new portable system in their factory and pond-side. The Shrimp Welfare Project continues to engage with leading supermarkets, seafood suppliers and producers to explore opportunities for further installations of humane stunning systems, with Ace Aquatec’s technology as one of the available solutions.
Tara McGregor-Woodhams, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer from Ace Aquatec, said: “Shrimp producers globally have been calling for a versatile, easy-to-deploy system which can simultaneously make the harvesting process more sustainable and efficient, while also improving quality and streamlining logistics. Working closely with the industry to further understand their needs, we have created a unique product that can be used both in factories and pond-side, and we expect to see it enhance operations for shrimp farmers, both in Thailand and at further installation sites in the future”.
Krzysztof Wojtas, Chief Programmes Officer at the Shrimp Welfare Project said: “Our partnership with Ace Aquatec is part of our broader mission to support shrimp farmers in adopting humane harvesting methods. By introducing technology like this stunning system, we are helping producers not only improve shrimp welfare but also streamline their operations in ways that can benefit the entire industry.”
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 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.
