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Fish Welfare at Slaughter by Tess Benson

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ADVANCING AQUACULTURE: Fish Welfare at Slaughter Tess Benson Winston Churchill Memorial Trust Travel Fellow 2004 Contents Personal background 1 Acknowledgments 1 Introduction 2 Fish welfare 3 Achieving the aims 4 Objectives 4 Planning 5 Countries 6 Travel 6 The Study Tour Canada 7 USA 8 Mexico 9 Chile 10 Farmed fish species Salmon 11 Trout 12 Channel catfish 12 Hybrid striped bass 12 Sturgeon 12 Tiliapia 12 Arctic charr 12 Pre-harvest treatment Food withdrawal 13 Crowding 13 Removal from water 14 Anaesthetics 15 Pumps and pipes 15 Brailling 15 Hand-nets 16 Killing methods Principles of humane slaughter 17 Staff training 17 Percussive stunning 18 Priest 18 Mechanical percussive systems - manual feed 19 Mechanical percussive systems - automatic feed 19 General considerations 20 Carbon dioxide narcosis 21 Live chilling 21 Death in ice slurry 22 Death in air 22 Gill cut 23 Electrical stunning 24 Recommendations 25 The future 27 Conclusions 28 Advancing Aquaculture: Fish Welfare at Slaughter Personal background For the past five and half years I have been employed by the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) as a Technical Officer. The HSA is the only registered charity to specialise in the welfare of food animals during marketing, transport and slaughter. As a non-campaigning organisation the HSA works in a practical and rational way to develop welfare standards through technology transfer, education and advice to industry and government. The HSA uses up-to-date knowledge and practical experience to write best practice guidelines for the industry and regularly advises retailers and others on their codes of practice. My job involves regular liaison with industry and government on animal welfare issues and improvements. Over the last three years I have been involved in the British aquaculture industry, gaining an understanding of the practical requirements for commercial slaughter systems and providing advice on humane methods of slaughter appropriate to the situation. In addition to the UK work, I have also been involved in assessing alternative slaughter methods used in Norway and New Zealand. This work has led to production of educational material about the humane killing of fish and various articles for publication and presentations at technical conferences. Acknowledgments: I would like to thank the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust for its generous funding of this study tour and its support whilst planning and carrying out this project. In addition thanks are given to the Humane Slaughter Association (HSA) for its support. Without the support of both of these organisations this trip would not have been possible and fish welfare at slaughter may still have been an issue on the back burner in many companies and countries. I also would like to extend my gratitude to all the people, too numerous to mention, that helped organise the study tour and spend their time detailing current industry practices and the implications of these to fish welfare. Special thanks are given to those people who went beyond all expectations and spent many hours arranging visits and encouraging the industry to be involved in this project. These people, in particular Melissia Struthers (CAIA), Fred Conte (UC Davis California), Antonio Campos Mendoza (University of Stirling) and Alberto Ramírez (Fundacion Chile), all made a significant contribution to the success of this project and also helped keep me positive (and sane!) throughout the trip. This study has been invaluable in gaining a sound understanding of slaughter systems and the practical implications of such methods in a wide range of circumstances. Specific information from this study is confidential, but the knowledge from this work has been used to produce guidance notes on the humane killing of salmon and trout and at the request of various parties best practice guidelines are currently under development. Advancing Aquaculture: Fish Welfare at Slaughter 1 Introduction As over 30% of the global seafood harvest is research into humane methods of slaughter already produced from aquaculture, and and practical improvements. However, as the predictions made in 2000 forecast that global numbers of fish have increased so has the fish consumption will rise 25% by 2030 (3kg number of species farmed. New species are increase per person), it is easy to understand continuously being identified for their farming why aquaculture is such a rapidly expanding potential as new developments and scientific industry. With such an increase in demand, understanding allows production of many new sources of cultured fish are required, species that were not previously economically especially as customers want quality viable. products all year round. One of the difficulties faced by the In addition to this there is increasing pressure aquaculture industry is that recommendations on wild fish stocks and the cost of catching are not necessarily universal or transferable from the sea is rising. This cost is seen both in between species or even the countries environmental and financial terms. The involved. This makes technology transfer environmental cost of the wild catch is between species very difficult and setting continuously rising as stocks are depleted; the guidelines very complicated, ie what works in resultant changes in sea life affect the natural one country may not be legal in another or balance of the oceans. It is also suggested by may not even be technically feasible in the FAO that the actual cost of catching wild another. This means that throughout the fish can be 25% more than the value, a figure industry the level of knowledge varies greatly, which is offset by government subsides. depending on the length of time that particular Although still a relatively new industry in species has been farmed. commercial farming terms, aquaculture has In response to the growing scientific opinion already made huge changes since it became that fish feel pain and can suffer, careful a significant commercial venture over 30 consideration is now being given to the years ago. In this time the industry has grown methods of slaughter employed around the from small individual farms to multi-national world and in particular in the UK. These companies which are streamlined and methods are also influenced by product increasingly efficient at producing millions of quality and the positive relationship this has animals annually. with humane handling and slaughter. One of the primary aims of aquaculture is to Whilst the debate about pain perception in fish produce a consistent and safe product with is ongoing, it is generally accepted that full traceability, reliably and, in accordance farmed fish should have their welfare with customer demands. With this aim it is protected and be treated humanely whilst kept clear to see how aquaculture can fit the above in aquaculture systems. The consideration of demands and help resolve the potential lack welfare is not only ethically correct, but of supply, not only for food fish, but also commercially sound: humane treatment is improve other industries such as those that important to realise potential growth rates and rely on fish, ie animal feed and leisure. As the product quality. Although terrestrial animal industry progresses, it is essential that it welfare has been studied for many years, grows responsibly and reacts to consumer similar studies for aquaculture are still in their requirements in order to develop suitable infancy. However, over the past few years the products that are required. aquaculture industry has actively striven to Although there is over 20 species of fish advance this knowledge base; supporting farmed, salmon and trout are commonly both scientific and practical research which farmed in the UK. For these reasons these has led to improved technology, knowledge species have been the main focus of recent and production procedures. Advancing Aquaculture: Fish Welfare at Slaughter 2 Introduction Fish Welfare The welfare of an animal can be defined as 'its production, or can lead to use of energy state as regards its attempts to cope with its stores and changes in hormones which will environment'. This environment includes have resultant effects on fish quality. physical conditions, social influences, In 1996 the Farm Animal Welfare Council predators, parasites or pathogens interacting (FAWC) reviewed farmed fish welfare in the with individual animals. Fish maintain a UK and made a number of recommendations, constant internal environment; when this is including improvements at slaughter. As a threatened a range of reactions take place to result, government funding was made elicit physiological (production of adrenaline, available in the UK for research into improved noradrenaline and cortisol) and physical slaughter methods. Nine years on, both the (increased heart rate, vigorous muscle salmon and trout industries have contractions) changes to reinstate the balance commercially viable, humane slaughter as soon as possible; this is widely known as systems available to them. This follows the stress response. When the response is considerable research and co-operation successful the physiological reactions subside within the industry to review the methods and the internal environment is restored within available and to develop those most suitable. hours. However, if the challenge is not removed/avoided the response is prolonged As a result, humane methods of slaughter are and it can be assumed that the welfare of that now employed widely in both the salmon and animal is compromised. trout industry in the UK and further afield. These methods include new generation, flow- In-depth knowledge of species-specific through percussive stunners and improved welfare requirements and relevant signs of electrical systems. The main advantage of the stress response are essential for correct both systems is the fact that fish are kept in welfare assessment. As a result, welfare is water right up to the point of slaughter and in often reviewed using the five freedoms both cases rendered immediately insensible principle which take into account the with little if any contact with humans whilst psychological needs in addition to the conscious.
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