FloatPac is developing a new bin flushing capability that will enhance both the welfare and quality of live fish in transit.
Peter Rankin, a marine biologist with the Australian firm, noted that while it is possible to manage the water in a holding tank prior to transport, access during a flight is not feasible. This means that the quality of the water deteriorates as the fish excrete waste products during their journey, and viable transport time is limited as a result.
The FishPac StackPac bin, with its double plug water outlet comprising an inner 50mm thread and an outer 75mm thread, offers part of the solution.
Rankin explained: “It is practical to, from the inside of the bin, screw a 50mm PVC pipe fitting into the water outlet and to this install a vertical PVC pipe. This modification replicates the standard system used in holding tanks and requires no structural modification to the StackPac bin – it can even be left in place during air transport.
“This allows animals to be pre-loaded into the transport bin in the days prior to the transport event, meaning that they are acclimated and calmer than animals packed immediately prior to transport. It also means that the metabolic waste spike that occurs at transfer time is flushed from the system prior to transport.
“The benefits for the animals are clear; reduced change in water quality results in better quality product and potential to increase transport duration,” Rankin concluded.
