A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting
It was observed that farmed eels could be rendered unconscious and insensible instantaneously by passing an electrical current through fresh water. The general epileptiform insult on the EEG was characterized by a tonic/clonic and an exhaustion phase. After stunning, the ECG (electro-cardiogram) rev...
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ftunivwagenin:oai:library.wur.nl:wurpubs/316001 2024-01-28T09:58:39+01:00 A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting Lambooij, E. van de Vis, J.W. Kuhlmann, H. Muenkner, W. Oehlenschlaeger, J. Kloosterboer, R.J. Pieterse, C. 2002 application/pdf https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-feasible-method-for-humane-slaughter-of-eel-anguilla-anguilla-l https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x en eng https://edepot.wur.nl/22630 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-feasible-method-for-humane-slaughter-of-eel-anguilla-anguilla-l doi:10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research Aquaculture Research 33 (2002) ISSN: 1355-557X Eel Electrical stunning Fresh water Slaughter info:eu-repo/semantics/article Article/Letter to editor info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion 2002 ftunivwagenin https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x 2024-01-03T23:16:35Z It was observed that farmed eels could be rendered unconscious and insensible instantaneously by passing an electrical current through fresh water. The general epileptiform insult on the EEG was characterized by a tonic/clonic and an exhaustion phase. After stunning, the ECG (electro-cardiogram) revealed fibrillation. The electrical stunning parameters were on average 194 ± 4 V and 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm2 for 1.6 ± 0.4 s. Within a confidence level of 95L taking into account the number of animals with a reliable EEG (n = 29), at least 93 f all eels are effectively stunned in fresh water by an average current of 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm2. The behaviour of groups of five eels, which were able to move freely in the water was observed before and after stunning with 50 V and 0.17 A/dm2. After 3-s stunning, two eels were turned upside down. They changed to a normal position after 10 and 13 s respectively. Subsequently, all eels were very active in swimming behaviour and stopped swimming after 75 s. When stunned for a longer duration, all eels were turned upside down and stopped breathing for a limited period of time. In the last experiment the eels were stunned in fresh water (500 ?S) with a voltage of 200 V for approximately 1 s, which was followed by 50 V for 5 min. As soon as the stunning started the water was de-oxygenated by flushing nitrogen to kill the eels by suffocation during the period of unconsciousness and insensitivity. The oxygen saturation decreased from 74 ± 10 to 23 ± 11 t 22 °C. After stunning no brain activity and no responses to pain stimuli were observed on the EEG. The heart rate increased (P < 0.05) after stunning, which was followed by a significant decrease. Only 1 out of 18 eels returned partially from upside down to a normal position 2 h after stunning; however, the eel did not respond to pain stimuli in behaviour. The developed stunning procedure can be recommended for humane slaughter of 50-kg batches of eels. Article in Journal/Newspaper Anguilla anguilla Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library Slaughter ENVELOPE(-85.633,-85.633,-78.617,-78.617) Aquaculture Research 33 9 643 652 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Wageningen UR (University & Research Centre): Digital Library |
op_collection_id |
ftunivwagenin |
language |
English |
topic |
Eel Electrical stunning Fresh water Slaughter |
spellingShingle |
Eel Electrical stunning Fresh water Slaughter Lambooij, E. van de Vis, J.W. Kuhlmann, H. Muenkner, W. Oehlenschlaeger, J. Kloosterboer, R.J. Pieterse, C. A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
topic_facet |
Eel Electrical stunning Fresh water Slaughter |
description |
It was observed that farmed eels could be rendered unconscious and insensible instantaneously by passing an electrical current through fresh water. The general epileptiform insult on the EEG was characterized by a tonic/clonic and an exhaustion phase. After stunning, the ECG (electro-cardiogram) revealed fibrillation. The electrical stunning parameters were on average 194 ± 4 V and 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm2 for 1.6 ± 0.4 s. Within a confidence level of 95L taking into account the number of animals with a reliable EEG (n = 29), at least 93 f all eels are effectively stunned in fresh water by an average current of 0.636 ± 0.040 A/dm2. The behaviour of groups of five eels, which were able to move freely in the water was observed before and after stunning with 50 V and 0.17 A/dm2. After 3-s stunning, two eels were turned upside down. They changed to a normal position after 10 and 13 s respectively. Subsequently, all eels were very active in swimming behaviour and stopped swimming after 75 s. When stunned for a longer duration, all eels were turned upside down and stopped breathing for a limited period of time. In the last experiment the eels were stunned in fresh water (500 ?S) with a voltage of 200 V for approximately 1 s, which was followed by 50 V for 5 min. As soon as the stunning started the water was de-oxygenated by flushing nitrogen to kill the eels by suffocation during the period of unconsciousness and insensitivity. The oxygen saturation decreased from 74 ± 10 to 23 ± 11 t 22 °C. After stunning no brain activity and no responses to pain stimuli were observed on the EEG. The heart rate increased (P < 0.05) after stunning, which was followed by a significant decrease. Only 1 out of 18 eels returned partially from upside down to a normal position 2 h after stunning; however, the eel did not respond to pain stimuli in behaviour. The developed stunning procedure can be recommended for humane slaughter of 50-kg batches of eels. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Lambooij, E. van de Vis, J.W. Kuhlmann, H. Muenkner, W. Oehlenschlaeger, J. Kloosterboer, R.J. Pieterse, C. |
author_facet |
Lambooij, E. van de Vis, J.W. Kuhlmann, H. Muenkner, W. Oehlenschlaeger, J. Kloosterboer, R.J. Pieterse, C. |
author_sort |
Lambooij, E. |
title |
A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
title_short |
A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
title_full |
A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
title_fullStr |
A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
title_full_unstemmed |
A feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (Anguilla anguilla L): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
title_sort |
feasible method for humane slaughter of eel (anguilla anguilla l): electrical stunning in fresh water prior to gutting |
publishDate |
2002 |
url |
https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-feasible-method-for-humane-slaughter-of-eel-anguilla-anguilla-l https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-85.633,-85.633,-78.617,-78.617) |
geographic |
Slaughter |
geographic_facet |
Slaughter |
genre |
Anguilla anguilla |
genre_facet |
Anguilla anguilla |
op_source |
Aquaculture Research 33 (2002) ISSN: 1355-557X |
op_relation |
https://edepot.wur.nl/22630 https://research.wur.nl/en/publications/a-feasible-method-for-humane-slaughter-of-eel-anguilla-anguilla-l doi:10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x |
op_rights |
info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess Wageningen University & Research |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2109.2002.00677.x |
container_title |
Aquaculture Research |
container_volume |
33 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
643 |
op_container_end_page |
652 |
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1789329470857936896 |