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Guidelines on Fish and Crustacea Welfare for Marketing and Preparation for Human Consumption
Your responsibility
Fish and crustacea may experience pain and stress. For this reason, the humane treatment of these animals is now legally enforced. Handling and killing of fish and crustacea in the catering and restaurant trade as well as the holding for retail must be conducted humanely.
Legislation
The Victorian Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1986 was amended in 1995 to include protection of fish and crustacea once they are caught and delivered to wholesale traders. The penalty for cruelty to animals is $6000 or 6 months imprisonment.
Handling
Fish and crustacea must be transported and held in conditions which do not cause pain or distress. This keeps the animals healthy and improves product quality.
Containers
- Ensure holding containers are of adequate size and design to avoid physical restraint and damage to the animal.
- Do not overcrowd animals.
- Do not mix incompatible species.
- Do not tie the limbs of crustacea. Where necessary claws may be tied to prevent injury or cannibalism.
Water
- Maintenance of good water conditions in holding tanks and containers involves:
- water purification and filtration;
- regular water testing;
- avoidance of rapid change in temperature and water quality; and
- adequate aeration
Signs of poor conditions include:
- foam on the water surface;
- cloudy water; or
- slime and algal growth on the tank walls.
Humane killing of fish and crustacea
All live animals to be used for food must be killed humanely.
Fish
Keep handling of fish prior to killing to a minimum. A skilled person should then kill the fish (including eels) by a fast, heavy blow to the head and/or spiking (using a narrow-bladed knife to penetrate and then destroy the brain).
Crustacea
Unacceptable
These methods are unacceptable because they cause pain and suffering to the animal:
- Separating the tail from the head of live crayfish or similar animals.
- Removing tissue or flesh from live animals.
- Putting live crustacea in boiling water.
- Serving live crustacea to diners.
Acceptable
Salt water/Ice slurry method
This applies to all crustacea for human consumption, whether eaten raw (sashami) or cooked. When the body temperature of crustacea is reduced, their activity slows and they eventually become insensible. If the body temperature is reduced further, the animal will die without suffering.
It is therefore recommended that live crustacea be immersed in an 'ice-slurry' for a minimum of 20 minutes before any further processing. The animal is assumed dead if no movement is detected when handled. There should also not be any movement of the pincers or any eye reflex in crabs, and crayfishs’ tails should hang limply.
If in any doubt, or if the operator prefers, in addition to the ice slurry, a skilled operator may then rapidly destroy the animal's nerve centres (pithing).
How to make an ice slurry
Note - Australian research has shown that the immersion of crayfish in slush ice for up to 18 hours causes no loss in edible quality of the tail flesh.
1.
| Fill a container with crushed ice, then add salt water; with an ice to water ratio of 3:1 (consistency of wet cement) and a temperature of minus 1 degree Celsius.
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| 2. | Ensure there is adequate ice to maintain the correct temperature throughout the process. |
These Guidelines were prepared by the Victorian Animal Welfare Advisory Committee, in consultation with the Restaurant and Caterers Association of Victoria and produced and distributed by the Bureau of Animal Welfare. Colour brochure format copies of these guidelines can be provided by contacting the Customer Service Centre.
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