Regal Springs Wins Aquaculture Innovation Award for Advancing Tilapia Welfare
23rd October 2024
Regal Springs is proud to announce that it has been awarded the prestigious Aquaculture Innovation
Award by the NGO Compassion in World Farming (CIWF) for its pioneering efforts in animal welfare. The award, presented on 21st October, recognises Regal Springs’ significant advancements in the
humane treatment of tilapia, particularly at the critical stage of harvest.
This achievement follows three years of intensive research and development in collaboration with ACE Aquatec, the Global Seafood Alliance (GSA), formerly known as GAA, Nautilus Collaboration and the Centre for Responsible Seafood (TCRS). This multi-stakeholder partnership led to the creation, manufacture, and installation of an innovative electric stunner. The stunner ensures that all Regal Springs tilapia are humanely stunned before harvest, significantly reducing stress at one of the most challenging points in their farming cycle.
Mr. Laurent Develle, Head of Corporate Affairs at Regal Springs, commented on the recognition: “Our animal-welfare-focused approach has delivered this remarkable milestone, and we hope it will encourage others in the industry to follow suit.”
The electric stunning technology has been fully implemented at all Regal Springs farming sites in Indonesia, Mexico, and Honduras. To date, it has improved the welfare of over 20 million tilapia, becoming an integral part of the company’s global operations. This innovation reflects Regal Springs’ ongoing commitment to sustainable aquaculture practices and sets a new benchmark for the humane treatment of farmed fish.
Dr. Daniel Sanchez, the Fish Welfare Research manager at Compassion in World Farming praised Regal Springs’ efforts:
“The new Aquaculture Innovation Awards could not have a better first winner. We celebrate the initiative demonstrated by Regal Springs in adapting and implementing a humane slaughter method through all their production. A clear example to follow for the wider aquaculture industry.”
Regal Springs’ commitment to improving animal welfare, alongside its dedication to sustainable farming, is backed by the efforts of its technical and operational teams. These teams invested significant time—spanning months of work and countless extra hours—perfecting the electric stunning process efficiencies. A major challenge in this effort has been fine-tuning the stunner design to match the varying power infrastructure across different countries.
In addition to the welfare benefits for tilapia, Regal Springs has seen unexpected advantages, including a longer shelf life for its Naturally Better TilapiaTM and a reduction in the use of cleaning agents, further minimising its environmental impact.
Regal Springs continues to lead the way in promoting the highest standards of fish welfare and sustainable practices, with a global impact on the aquaculture industry.
