Effect of Electric Field Strength and Current Duration on Stunning and Injuries in Market-Sized Atlantic Salmon Held in Seawater

Roth, Bjørn; Imsland, Albert K.; Moeller, Dag; Slinde, Erik

doi:10.1577/1548-8454(2003)065<0008:eoefsa>2.0.co;2

Cited by 56 publications

(50 citation statements)

References 25 publications

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“…Electrical stunning consists of the application of a current through the water and is used for various species. If the chosen electrical parameters are adapted to the species, loss of consciousness may be induced in trout, salmonids and turbot Roth et al, 2003;Van de Vis et al, 2003;Lines and Kestin, 2004). Certain species, such as rainbow trout, gilthead sea bream, sea bass and African catfish, are also commonly asphyxiated in ice or in ice/water slurry (Huidobro et al, 2001;Robb and Kestin, 2002).…”

Section: Farmed Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Terlouw

Arnould

Aupérin³

et al. 2008

Animal

169

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The present paper describes the main procedures used to slaughter fowl, pigs, calves and adult cattle, sheep, and farmed fish, starting on the farm and ending with the death of the animal at the abattoir. It reviews the currently known causes of stress, indicated by behavioural and physiological measurements on the animal level, and by post-mortem muscle metabolism. During the pre-slaughter period, psychological stress is due to changes of environment, social disturbances and handling, and physical stress is due to food deprivation, climatic conditions, fatigue, and sometimes pain. The exact causes of stress depend, however, on the characteristics of each species, including the rearing system. For fowl, bird catching and crating, duration and climatic conditions of transport and of lairage and shackling are the main known pre-slaughter stress factors. For pigs, stress is caused by fighting during mixing of pens, loading and unloading conditions, and introduction in the restrainer. Handling and novelty of the situation contribute to the stress reactions. For veal calves and adult cattle, disruption of the social group, handling, loading and sometimes unloading conditions, fatigue, novelty of the situation and for calves mixing with unfamiliar animals are known stress factors. Gathering and yarding of extensively reared lambs and sheep causes stress, particularly when shepherd dogs are used. Subsequent transport may induce fatigue, especially if sheep are commercialised through auctions or markets. In farmed fish, stress is predominantly related to environmental aspects such as temperature, oxygen, cleanliness of the water and, to a certain extent, stocking density and removal of the fish from the water. If transport and lairage conditions are good and their durations not too long, they may allow pigs, calves and adult cattle, sheep, and fish to rest. For certain species, it was shown that genetic origin and earlier experience influence reactions to the slaughter procedure. Stunning techniques used depend on the species. Pigs and fowl are mostly electrically or gas-stunned, while most adult cattle are stunned with a captive bolt pistol. Calves and sheep may be electrically stunned or with a captive bolt pistol. Various stunning methods exist for the different farmed fish species. Potential causes of stress associated with the different stunning procedures are discussed. The paper addresses further consequences for meat quality and possible itineraries for future research. For all species, and most urgently for fish, more knowledge is needed on stunning and killing techniques, including gas-stunning techniques, to protect welfare.

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Section: Farmed Fishmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Terlouw

Arnould

Aupérin³

et al. 2008

Animal

169

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“…These simple behavioural tests have been used to determine the state of sensibility of the experimental fish in this work. This approach has been used previously by Roth et al (2003) and . Unfortunately, the onset of insensibility at the beginning of exposure to an electric field is not observable by this method since the muscle tension caused by the electric field stiffens the body and flares the gill covers.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Carcass damage is frequently associated with electric stunning (Sharber and Carothers, 1990;Roth et al, 2003). Most authors agree that carcass damage is primarily related to electrical wave form and electric field strength (Lamarque, 1990;Spencer, 1967;McMichael, 1993).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrical stunning of fish: the relationship between the electric field strength and water conductivity

Lines

Kestin

2004

Aquaculture

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The electric field in water required to stun trout is investigated experimentally. The results show how the electric field depends on water conductivity. The electric fields in water required to generate permanent insensibility in trout following exposure durations of 15, 30 and 60 s are identified. A mathematical model of the electric field in the stunning tank is constructed and shown to produce results consistent with the experimental results. This simulation indicates that the electric field that occurs in the fish will vary little with variation of the fish position in the tank and fish size but that there many be a significant variation in the electric field experienced by individual fish in a high density cluster of fish if water conductivity is below 50 AS/cm or greater than 500 AS/cm.

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“…Whereas percussion has been used as a control method by some authors (Rahmanifarah et al, 2011), electrical stunning still poses certain challenges in terms of quality (Roth et al, 2003 assess the differences in postmortem muscle metabolism and some meat quality parameters of carps stunned either by percussion or by applying electricity. The fish stunned electrically showed accelerated anaerobic muscle metabolism immediately after death as this group of fish had lower initial muscle pH in comparison to the carps stunned by percussion.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of two stunning methods on postmortem muscle pH and meat quality of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

Daskalova¹,

Pavlov²

2015

BJVM

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Percussive and electrical stunning are the most promising methods in terms of rendering fish unconscious prior to slaughter. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of these two stunning methods on postmortem muscle changes and meat quality of common carps. The experimental fish were stunned either by percussion (Group 1) or by electrical current application (Group 2), both followed by immediate decapitation. Muscle pH was measured at different time intervals to assess the postmortem metabolic changes, whereas meat colour, drip loss and water activity were used as quality parameters. The fish in Group 1 showed slightly accelerated postmortem muscle metabolism, higher redness (a*) and yellowness (b*) colour values and lower water activity. Percentage of drip loss after 4 days of storage at 4 °C did not differ significantly between the two groups. Based on the obtained results we concluded that both tested stunning methods were not associated with high levels of stress and significant detrimental effect on the meat quality of common carps.

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Effect of Electric Field Strength and Current Duration on Stunning and Injuries in Market-Sized Atlantic Salmon Held in Seawater

Cited by 56 publications

References 25 publications

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Pre-slaughter conditions, animal stress and welfare: current status and possible future research

Electrical stunning of fish: the relationship between the electric field strength and water conductivity

Effect of two stunning methods on postmortem muscle pH and meat quality of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

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