Fish anaesthetic a humane harvesting aid

The phrase "sleeping with the fishes" takes on a whole new meaning with one Lower Hutt company.

Aqui-S is looking to make a splash on the international stage with its fish anaesthetic. Its product is a harmless and humane way to prepare fish in fish farms for harvesting.

With aquaculture a fast-growing industry, Aqui-S managing director Don Bell is hoping the company will be able to develop export markets in North America and Europe during the next few years.

"Basically, it's used when harvesting salmon, to reduce stress during the harvesting and improve the quality of the end product."

Dr Bell said if fish became agitated during the harvesting process, they produced hormones and chemicals which made their flesh less appealing.

Aqui-S's product works in the same way as a human anaesthetic does, putting the fish to sleep by shutting down their nervous systems. It is added to their water, in a small dose of about 15 to 20 parts a million.

Most importantly it is a natural product made from food materials with no side effects for humans.

It has been used in New Zealand since 1996, and is exported to Chile, Australia and South Korea. Exports account for 80 per cent of sales.

But the big catch will be getting approval from the Food and Drug Administration in the United States and similar bodies in Europe.

Dr Bell said there was no other product to compete with Aqui-S, so it would be able to corner the market. Other products require a holding period, in which the fish must be kept after harvesting and before processing.

Aqui-S had been working with the FDA since the company was formed almost 10 years ago, and approval was hopefully only a couple of years away, Dr Bell said.

Though salmon had been the main focus, Dr Bell said it could be used on other species such as bream, bass and lobster. And it was not only for harvesting. When fish were being transported or handled in any way, it increased anxiety, and affected their long-term health.

"Every time you handle the fish you stress them, which affects their immune system and their growth rates.

"The whole area of looking after the animal is slowly being recognised as a key issue in the business of aquaculture."

The company employed six people and turned over less than a million dollars a year, Dr Bell said, but he rated the opportunity from the American and European markets at 10 to 20 times the business Aqui-S did now.

Aqui-S is a joint venture between Crop and Food Research and private interests, and has been supported by Technology New Zealand funding.

Dr Bell's background was in chemical engineering at Canterbury University, before doing a PhD in Biochemical Engineering at the University of London.

Aqui-S developed out of work Dr Bell was doing as a consultant to Crop and Food.

"We did some back of-the-garage development work, and once we established that it had potential, we formed the company and took it from there."

- nzpa