Dundee, Scotland-based aquaculture technology supplier Ace Aquatec announced it has signed an agreement with Sævareid, Norway-based smolt farmers Sævareid Fiskeanlegg to provide smolt-stunning technology.
The agreement follows up on a series of successful trials that the company piloted in 2021, according to a release from Ace Aquatec. Sævareid Fiskeanlegg, an independent smolt producer, will use Ace Aquatec’s in-water smolt stunner as a solution to cull fish more efficiently and “in an ethically sustainable way,” Ace Aquatec said.
“Following successful trials and ongoing consultation, we’re delighted to have reached an agreement with Sævareid Fiskeanlegg,” Ace Aquatec Northern Europe Regional Manager Preben Imset Matre said. “Together, we were able to demonstrate that the smolt stunner is a great way of turning cost into profit while also allowing you to process the fish more efficiently. The good dialogue with Sævareid Fiskeanlegg during the pilot has been very valuable, and has helped shape the product into what it is today.”
The contract involved a two-year rental period on Ace Aquatec’s portable in-water fish stunner – which will ensure the smolt will be culled and not stunned as with larger fish. The stunner will allow Sævareid Fiskeanlegg to now take culled smolt to pet food producers, where before the fish were unable to be used for consumption due to the use of chemical anaesthesia.
“By incorporating Ace Aquatec’s smolt stunner into our day-to-day operations, it has allowed our staff to run a more-efficient and faster production line,” Sævareid Fiskeanlegg CEO Gustav Folkestad said. “Introducing this type of technology opens the door for us to provide higher value on what could be seen as a costly byproduct. We’re now looking forward to continuing working with Ace through this agreement.”
Ace Aquatec’s Humane Stunner was the recipient of a Global Aquaculture Innovation award in 2019. In operations featuring adult fish, the company’s technology allows operations involving finfish to humanely stun fish to the point of death in a way that reduces stress.
Photo courtesy of Ace Aquatec
