RT Journal Article
T1 Archimedes' screw helps optimize fish catching, welfare and product quality
A1 De la Llave-Propín, Álvaro
A1 Martínez Villalba, Andrea
A1 Bermejo Poza, Rubén
A1 Villarroel, Morris
A1 Pérez Marcos, Concepción
A1 González De Chávarri Echániz, Elisabeth
A1 Cabezas Albéniz, Almudena
A1 González Garoz, Roberto
A1 Fernández-Muela Garrote, Montserrat
A1 Fuente Vázquez, Jesús De La
A1 Díaz Díaz Chirón, María Teresa
AB Efficient fish handling during pre-slaughter is essential to ensure both animal welfare and product quality. However, the effects of different mechanized catching systems, such as Archimedes screws and vacuum pumps, on stress and flesh characteristics in farmed fish remain insufficiently understood. This study evaluated the physiological and quality-related impacts of three methods, manual netting (N), Archimedes' screw (A), and vacuum pump (V), on rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) under two water temperatures: 10 °C (winter) and 17 °C (summer). A total of 240 fish were sampled and analyzed for plasma stress indicators (cortisol, glucose, lactate, triglycerides, non-esterified fatty acids, lactate dehydrogenase and creatine phosphokinase-CPK enzymes), muscle and liver enzyme activities, skin and liver color, fillet color at 0 and 24 h post-mortem, pH, and rigor mortis. Compared to the vacuum pump, the Archimedes screw significantly reduced stress responses (e.g., lower cortisol, lactate, and CPK), improved fillet appearance (higher L* at 24 h), and preserved muscle enzyme activity, particularly in summer. In contrast, fish caught with the vacuum pump showed greater metabolic disruption, reduced acetylcholinesterase activity, and more variable tissue coloration. However, under colder conditions, the screw's higher physical demands led to increased energy expenditure and stress indicators. Overall, results suggest that the Archimedes screw is a more fish-friendly mechanized method than the vacuum pump, offering better outcomes for welfare and product quality, especially when used at optimal water temperatures for the species
PB Elsevier
SN 0044-8486
YR 2026
FD 2026
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124746
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/124746
LA eng
NO De la Llave-Propín, Á., Martínez Villalba, A., Bermejo-Poza, R., Villarroel, M., Pérez, C., González de Chávarri, E., Cabezas, A., González Garoz, R., Fernández-Muela Garrote, M., De la Fuente, J., & Díaz, M. T. (2026). Archimedes” screw helps optimize fish catching, welfare and product quality. Aquaculture, 612. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.AQUACULTURE.2025.743067
NO Credit authorship contribution statement: Alvaro ´ De la Llave-Propín: Writing – original draft, Methodology, Data curation. Andrea Martínez Villalba: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Ruben ´ Bermejo-Poza: Writing – review & editing, Conceptualization. Morris Villarroel: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Data curation, Conceptualization. Concepcion ´ Perez: ´ Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Elisabeth Gonzalez ´ de Chavarri: ´ Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Almudena Cabezas: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Roberto Gonzalez ´ Garoz: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Montserrat Fernandez-Muela ´ Garrote: Writing – review & editing, Methodology. Jesús De la Fuente: Writing – review & editing, Funding acquisition, Conceptualization. María Teresa Díaz: Writing – review & editing, Validation, Supervision, Data curation, Conceptualization
NO Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentacion ( España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 19 mar 2026