Seafood Innovations is making a name for itself around the world with its innovative capabilities.
Industry-scale trials have been carried out at one of Marine-Harvest’s salmon farming plants in Rogaland, Norway of an automated slaughtering machine.
The system has now been trialled in several places around the world and on several fish species.
In the Norwegian trial, salmon were pumped directly from aquaculture pens to a vessel especially outfitted for the trials. The machine kills the fish instantaneously with a blow to the head. Next, the fish are cut for bleeding and transported to a tank containing cold sterile seawater where it is bled out.
Scientists from Fiskeriforskning have confirmed that the fish are killed instantly when the machine delivers a correctly aimed blow.
An article ‘Good News for the Salmon Industry’ in a recent Fiskeriforskning newsletter confirms that the current method using CO2 will be banned from 1 July 2008.
More details about the device including videos of it in operation can be seen here.
One of the patents associated with the device may be accessed here.
Listened to a television program on the ABC last night (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) which covered some of the themes being covered at the 2008 World Poultry Congress. There are some interesting parallels in the issues that are being addressed in poultry and aquaculture - as aquaculture seeks to increase its scale and intensity of production.
One of the keynote speakers at the Conference, Professor David Farrell from the University of Queensland was interviewed about the key factors that have allowed the poultry industry to intensify its production so successfully. Professor Farrell identifies the following factors as key contributors:
- technology
- genetics
- feed
- management
- disease control
At the 4.20 minute mark in the video (see the link below) Professor Farrell reviews the conversion efficiency of the three major livestock industries. He states the feed conversion ratios as:
- Poultry - 1.7:1
- Pigs - 2.2:1
- Cattle - 7:1
This makes the peak feed conversion ratios in aquaculture of 0.8:1 look very good.
Can anyone help by pointing out the latest data on feed conversion ratio in aquaculture both in the lab and in the farm setting?
The video of the interview with Professor Farrell is available here.
The World Poultry Congress site is here.
