Dundee aquatech supplier completes first Spanish order for fish stunner

Dundee-based aquaculture technology innovator Ace Aquatec has delivered a humane stunner to Spanish trout farmer Piszolla.

It is the first time that Ace Aquatec has sold its Humane Stunner Universal (A-HSU) to a Spanish fish farmer. The stunner, which renders fish unconscious in less than a second while they are still in water, will be used at Piszolla’s open pond farming site in Alba de Tormes, Salamanca.

Piszolla, which was acquired by French smoked trout supplier Groupe Aqualande in 2018, produces approximately 5,000 tonnes of trout per year which are supplied year-round to markets across Europe, and also provides high-end smoked trout sold to major supermarket chains.

Welfare standards

Ace Aquatec said that with demand for ethically harvested fish growing in Europe, the installation reflects a growing trend towards higher standards of welfare in Spain and the Mediterranean region. The A-HSU device minimises handling requirements and reduces stress for the fish, as well as enabling a safer and more efficient harvesting process.

The company’s relationship with Piszolla began at the 2022 Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, and the installation reinforces Piszolla’s position as a trailblazer of more humane and sustainable practices in the Spanish trout farming industry.

Breaking new ground

Julio Hernandez, regional manager at Piszolla, said: “The installation of Ace Aquatec’s trout stunner will enable us not only to streamline our operations, but also to break new ground for animal welfare standards in Spain.

“We aspire to be pioneers of humane harvesting standards in this region, and this technology is set to have a huge impact for us in terms of generating high-quality, high-welfare and sustainable products for consumers globally.”

Tara McGregor-Woodhams, chief sales and marketing officer at Ace Aquatec, said Piszolla’s commitment to enhancing welfare standards aligned with Ace Aquatec’s ethos of providing humane and sustainable aquaculture solutions.

“We’re excited to be helping them to pave the way towards humane slaughter in Spain. Julio leads a forward-thinking, progressively minded team who are at the forefront of change in the region, and we’re looking forward to seeing where this new partnership will lead us,” said McGregor-Woodhams.