Safeguarding fish health, welfare and the environment during handling and transport

Photo: Vasco Pinhol

Safeguarding fish health, welfare and the environment

Good fish welfare in today's aquaculture industry is important, as the welfare of fish has great significance on the ability to withstand stress, bacteria, viruses and parasites such as salmon lice.

Good fish welfare is a prerequisite for good fish health and low mortality.

Fish welfare in Norway

Disease is a major challenge, both in terms of the fish welfare and economically. It has long been a strategy in Norway to live with various viral diseases that weaken the resistance of the farmed salmon to stress and handling.

In addition, fish are more exposed to handling, especially in connection with delousing. The Veterinary Institute regard mortality due to treatment and other handling as a serious welfare problem.

It is important that all handling is performed gently in order to maintain good fish health and fish welfare, reduce stress and subsequent outbreaks of disease.

Cflow has, after many years of being one of the country's leading equipment suppliers, developed systems and solutions that allow for good and gentle handling of fish. We work continuously to promote good fish health, to secure good fish welfare, as well as ensure environmental considerations when we develop our products and systems for handling and transporting live fish.

Cflow_Strand-rederi_makrell14_1100x620
Photo: Staale Wattø/Strand Rederi

Gentle handling and importance to fish welfare

Today's wellboats, with a capacity up to 4000 cubic metres, carry enormous values. Consequently, both large financial risks and welfare risks are linked to the transport of fish.

Salmon are pushed, pumped, transported and unloaded several times during production before reaching the slaughter line. Research into the effects of pushing and pumping of salmon has shown that the least possible handling and stress are crucial for quality and fish welfare. All handling therefore poses a risk to fish welfare.

The fish that are handled, whether in floating cages, boats, fish pumps, circulation systems or elsewhere, will be passengers in our solutions for short or long periods of time. The risk of stress, injury and infection that occurs when fish are pumped up by the sea is affected by density, velocity, collisions, pump length, pump stop, water quality, temperature and cleaning. All of this can impact on fish welfare.

All transport of salmon is currently subject to the regulations for the transport of aquaculture animals. The aim of the regulation is to promote good fish health, to secure good fish welfare during transport, and safeguard environmental considerations. This regulation therefore sets specific requirements for the design of transport units and equipment used in connection with transport. The equipment on board must ensure good hygiene, fish welfare and water quality for the aquaculture animals being transported, for those at the destination site and to aquatic animals that pass through, while the transport unit must be approved for use by the Norwegian Food Safety Authority.

How does Cflow work with fish welfare?

Cflow focuses on finding the best fish handling systems that promote and safeguard good fish welfare while taking into account the environment.

When we develop new solutions, we collaborate with the authorities to ensure that our equipment not only satisfies, but exceeds the formal requirements imposed by the authorities. We are constantly aiming to develop innovative, good solutions for our customers who look after fish welfare.

Our own biology and research department is constantly working to find the best solutions. Our experienced engineers and biologists cooperate closely with the production department to create good, quality assurance systems and solutions with a long service life that are hygienic and user-friendly and, not least, promote good fish health.

Cflow_Biologist_Tony-Hall-red._web 1200x800
Photo: Tony Hall

Objectives of Cflow solutions:

Reduce stress and injury to fish during handling
Minimise the handling time
Increase efficiency and profitability
Greatest supervision and control in each stage
Cleaning systems that allow inspection after washing to reduce the risk of bacterial growth

Establishing barriers to potential sources of infection on board reduces the risk of spread of infection. The Cflow cleaning system disinfects potentially contaminated water that leaves the boat, as well as providing thorough washing and disinfection of the units after the completion of operations.

Cflow also offers a logging system (Cflow Synergy Log) for complete monitoring of all measurable parameters on the boats. The system ensures that the customer can give the fish the best possible environment throughout transit. This gives our customers the requisite control over the welfare of the fish during the transport stage.