Scottish technology has improved our fish welfare and quality, says Greek farmer
Philosofish will install Ace Aquatec stunners on all future harvest vessels
Scotland-headquartered aquaculture technology supplier Ace Aquatec has installed new in-water electric stunners on two harvest vessels used by Greek seabass and sea bream farmer Philosofish.
The fish farmer has also committed to installing the high welfare technology across all new boats it will acquire going forward.
Ace Aquatec said the installation of the humane stunners in April 2023 has been transformative for Philosofish’s production and efficiency. Beyond providing a more ethical, stress-free harvesting experience for the fish, the stunners have greatly improved the quality of the final product.
Less stress
The first iteration of Ace Aquatec’s Humane Stunner Universal won the Innovation Award at the world’s biggest fish farming trade show, Aqua Nor, in 2017, and the technology has become a key product for the Dundee company.
Ace Aquatec says that electronically stunning fish when they are still in water makes the slaughter process more humane and reduces expression of the stress hormone cortisol, thus enhancing the quality of the meat.
Philosofish harvests around 20,000 tonnes a year and operates 27 farms spread over four separate clusters.
Setting benchmarks
Chief executive Nikos Liberis said the adoption of humane stunning technology aligned with the company’s inherent responsibility towards its fish and commitment to setting industry benchmarks for animal welfare.
We consider Philosofish to be a pioneer within the sector. That’s why we've adopted in-water stunning, because we believe that it’s the right, humane thing to do.
Philosofish CEO Nikos Liberis
“We consider Philosofish to be a pioneer within the sector. That’s why we've adopted in-water stunning, because we believe that it’s the right, humane thing to do,” said Liberis.
In a video about the in-water stunning system, Philosofish research and development manager Stella Adamidou said: “We have noticed that our fish have less skin damage, and it has increased the quality and freshness. We have installed the in-water electric stunner on our new, modern harvesting boat, Philosofish 7, and we also have another stunner in the farm at Rhodes, on our harvesting boat there.”
The harvest process involves fish being pumped from the pen into
the on-board stunner, where they are anaesthetised before being dewatered and
placed in ice, which kills them.
'Our people are happy'
Adamidou said installation of the stunners was smooth and efficient, and maintenance is easy.
“Our people are happy with the in-water electric stunners, especially with the user-friendly design, the improvement in safety, and the streamlined harvest process,” she added.
Philosofish is one of a handful of Greek fish farming companies to adopt this method of humane harvesting across the Mediterranean region.
Costa Skotidas, Europe, Middle East and Africa sales and partnership manager at Ace Aquatec, said: “Philosofish’s latest vessel, designed by our partners Stamatiou Aquaculture, shows what can be achieved when welfare and sustainability are high ranking strategic priorities.
“This collaboration signals an important advancement for harvesting standards in the region and will help Philosofish to blaze the trail for improving animal welfare while continuing to deliver high-quality products.”
Philosofish mostly farms seabass and bream, but also pagrus and meagre. It has more than 550 employees.
