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Recovery from transportation by road of farmed European eel ( A nguilla anguilla )
Author(s) -
Boerrigter Jeroen G J,
Manuel Remy,
Bos Ruud,
Roques Jonathan A C,
Spanings Tom,
Flik Gert,
Vis Hans W
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
aquaculture research
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.646
H-Index - 89
eISSN - 1365-2109
pISSN - 1355-557X
DOI - 10.1111/are.12284
Subject(s) - anguillidae , biology , fishery , zoology , animal husbandry , road transport , anguilla rostrata , nefa , stunning , aquaculture , fish <actinopterygii> , ecology , fatty acid , medicine , agriculture , biochemistry , ischemia , transport engineering , engineering
The objective of this study was to assess the effects of transportation of marketable eel (0.15 kg) in the Netherlands with respect to welfare. Eels ( Anguilla anguilla) were obtained from a commercial farm and acclimatized for 7 weeks at the laboratory. Fish were transported according to regular commercial procedures. The animals were placed in water‐filled transport tanks on the trailer. Fish density increased from 72 kg m −3 (husbandry) to 206 kg m −3 (fasting) and was further increased to 270–290 kg m −3 during transport. Fish transport lasted 3 h after which the eels were returned to laboratory recirculation systems to measure parameters indicative of stress load, i.e. mortality, plasma cortisol, lactate and non‐esterified fatty acids ( NEFA ) as well as gill morphology. Samples were taken at 0, 6, 24, 48 and 72 h after transport in transported fish and non‐transported counterparts (controls). Transportation affected water quality within known tolerable limits. No mortality during or after transport was observed. After 6 h, plasma cortisol levels had returned to baseline. However, energy metabolism had increased suggesting that transportation of eels resulted in an increased energy demand that lasted for at least 72 h in the fasted animals. Thus, it is conceivable that exposure to adverse conditions, prior to stunning/killing, in a slaughterhouse may result in allostatic overload in eel.