Harvest of bluefin tuna from fattening cages in Italy – Video

Permission to use the video by: Ahmed Shaheen (Egypt)

Review: Abdel Rahman El Gamal (Founder of the channel and the website)

The relatively large size of the bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) upon harvesting from fattening facilities in addition to its high market value implies that proper harvesting methods should be in place in order to produce high quality flesh. The underwater shooting by professional divers using a power-head “lupara” is the most commonly employed method for killing farmed bluefin tuna. The video shows tuna are killed one-by-one by a shot on the head. Ideally, the shot should hit the brain each time, resulting in immediate death of the fish and cessation of any voluntary movement.

Once a fish is killed, it is captured by a diver and lifted on deck using a mechanical crane. Then, the fish is bled by slicing its lateral arteries; its head is cut off using a chain saw.

The instantaneous death of fish leads to high quality flesh, as well as complies with the animal welfare guidelines. Less stressed fish that are harvested quickly and processed properly in ice slurry enjoy higher quality and achieve better prices.

 

 

 

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