Dundee-based Ace Aquatec is launching what it describes as the “first in-water, portable electric stunning system for prawns” in the world, following successful trials with Pacific white shrimp in Germany.
The company noted the system uses its “humane stunner universal technology to stun the prawns unconscious in less than one second, minimising their sensitivity to pain”, adding: “This enables an immediate, humane and stress-free stunning process for prawns of all sizes and guarantees insensibility without compromising quality or shelf-life.”
It said that, with more than 400 billion prawns farmed each year, the global shrimp industry is “one of the most prominent sectors” in aquaculture.
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The aquaculture technology company, which employs 32 people and has a presence in Norway, Chile and Canada, added: “But until recently there has been no requirement to stun farmed prawns prior to slaughter – as is required of other farmed animals – until the scope of the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Bill in the UK was extended to recognise lobsters, octopus and crabs and all other decapod crustaceans (eg prawns) and cephalopod molluscs as sentient beings.”
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Chief executive Nathan Pyne-Carter said: “We know that current slaughter practices, including boiling alive, chilling, dismembering, CO2, high pressure processing, asphyxiation or immersion in ice slurry are all harmful for shrimp welfare.”
Explaining its system, the firm said: “The process begins with prawns being pumped or brailed into the entrance chute, where they flow directly into the water of the stun tube. The electric field in the stun tube ensures that they lose consciousness immediately and are maintained in the fields in order to maintain long insensibility after removal from the water. The whole process takes 40 seconds from start to finish."
The firm said the stunning system for prawns would be used “all over the world", adding: “We have already had significant interest from Germany, Latin America, and Asia.”
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Asked how the prawns would be killed after being stunned, Ace Aquatec said it “depends on each farm’s set-up”, adding: “Most would go on to ice.”
Ace Aquatec has also developed a humane stunner range for salmon, trout and tilapia, among other species.
The salmon systems are used in Scotland, New Zealand, the Americas, and Switzerland. The systems for trout are used in countries including Denmark, Scotland, and Japan. The tilapia systems are deployed in Mexico, Honduras, and Indonesia.
Ace Aquatec said: "The European Food Safety Authority also considers decapod crustaceans (eg prawns) to have the capability to experience pain, suffering, and distress. This means greater focus has been placed on the development of humane methods of slaughter for these animals."
Mr Pyne-Carter said: "Thanks to the inclusion of decapod crustaceans in the Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022, we’re now seeing retailers and producers approaching us to facilitate a humane electrical stunning process for these animals. The launch of our A-HSU for crustaceans will allow us to expand on our mission to elevate harvesting standards for all marine life, including invertebrate species."
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