Note: Descriptions are shown in the official language in which they were submitted.
CA 02336237 2001-03-O1
METHOD AND DEVICE FOR DISPLACEMENT OF LIVE FISH.
The present invention relates to a method and a
device for displacement of live fish, or other organisms
which live in water, from a first storage unit which is
completely, or partially full of water, such as a Storage
tank on board a boat or a ship, to an adjacent second
storage unit, in which the fish are displaced in the
1o horizontal direction of the storage unit by moving a first
water penetrable displacement means, from the unit's first
end, or from a arbitrary pos'i~rion"fin the unit, towards its
second opposite end.
Today it is common to freight live fish from a fish
farm with the aid of a ship or a large boat. These ships
are equipped with one or more tanks or wells, which are
completely, or partially, filled with seawater. The fish
are kept in these tanks or wells during transport from the
fish farms to the slaughtering plant.
on arrival at the slaughtering plant, the unloading
of the fish is normally carried out by the fish being
unloaded in a seine which is fitted to a lifting device
and which lifts the fish out from the' storage room. This
seine is usually made of a fine mesh material or it is
z5 watertight. The fish can also be unloaded by letting most
of the water out of the tank and thereafter one or more
scoop nets are used for unloading the fish. In some cases,
it is also common to pump the fish out from the tank with
the aid of a suction pump, which is connected to a vacuum
3o tank.
In all the cases that are mentioned above, the fish
are subjected to very rough treatment, which leads to the
fish becoming disturbed and distressed. This can result in
the quality of the meat of the slaughtered fish
35 deteriorate compared to fish which can be moved in a
natural way from the tank to the slaughtering plant or a
storage unit before they are slaughtered.
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There is also a dangex that the fish may be damaged
when a suction pump is being used. To obtain sufficient
suction in the auction unit, so that the fish can be
sucked vut of the tank, a vacuum tank is used. Because of
this, the fish axe subjected to large external stresses
and as a result the fish will also, in some cases, be
damaged to the extent that they die.
There is, therefore, a need for a new method for
moving fish from the storage tank on board the boat to the
io slaughtering plant, or to a storage site prior to being
slaughtered, which does not damage and/or distress the
fish. There is also a need for a device to carry out the
method.
The aim of the present invention is to provide a
15 method and a device for moving, or displacement of, fish
from a first storage unit, such as a storage tank or a
well vn board a ship or on board a boat, to an adjacent
second storage unit without the abovementioned
disadvantages. This means that the fish are neither
2o damaged nor distressed, the fish swim by themselves, no
vacuum or other suction device is used, and a scooping net
is not used either to unload the fish.
In the method, according to the invention, fish'are
displaced in the horizontal direction of the unit, by
2s moving a first water penetrable displacement means. from
the unit's first end, towards and to a stop position at
its second opposite side, where an outlet is arranged at
the second end of the storage unit, through which the fish
swim to the second storage unit, and where the remaining
3o fish are displaced, when the first water penetrable
displacement means reaches its stop position adjacent to a
second water penetrable displacement means, in that the
second displacement means is moved from a lower to an
upper position.
35 In preferred embodiments of the method, according to
the invention, are lower parts of the outlet removed
before the second water penetrable displacement means is
moved from its lower position. Pumps can provide an
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overpressure in the first storage unit to ease the
displacement of the fish to the adjacent second storage
unit. There can also be provided a vertical channel in the
storage~unit when the first displacement means is in its
stop position.
The device, according to the invention, is
characterised in that the storage unit comprises an outlet
in and/or at the second end of the storage unit, and a
second water penetrable displacement means, which is
1o arranged adjacent to the second end of the storage unit,
in which the water penetrable displacement means is
adapted to be moved vertically in a channel which is
provided at the second end of the storage unit by a first
displacement means and a number of the inner walls of the
unit .
Preferred embodiments of the device are characterised
in that the first water penetrable displacement means is
moved horizontally from, or at, one end of the storage
unit and towards and to a stop position at its opposite
zo second end, and that the second water penetrable
displacement means is moved vertically from a lower
position to an upper position. The first water penetrable
displacement means can include means through which water
can flow, such as a grating or a grid, fixed to a frame
construction, and where the outer sides of the
displacement means are arranged to lie against, or abut,
the inner sides of the storage unit, and the second water
penetrable displacement means can also includes means
through which water can flow, such as a grating or a.grid,
3o and where the outer sides of the displacement m~ans is
enclosed by three of the inner sides of the storage unit
and the first water penetrable displacement means, when
this is in its stop position at the unit's second end, to
provide a vertical channel. An outlet, comprising a number
Of mutually adapted funnel-formed and/or pipe-formed
means, can be arranged at the upper part of the storage
unit's second end, where the outlet can include a lower
inlet funnel, an intermediate pipe-formed piece and an
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outlet funnel. The water penetrable displacement means can
be moved in the horizontal and vertical direction of the
storage unit, respectively, with the aid of displacement
means, such as a wire and winch arrangement and/or a~
s hydraulic/pneumatic piston system, which are driven by an
electric or hydraulic motor.
The invention~shall now be explained further by
referring to the enclosed figures, in which:
Figure 1 shows a boat or a ship containing a storage
Zo tank with live fish, according to a preferred embodiment
of the present invention.
Figure 2 shows the first water penetrable
displacement means in its second position, and the second
water penetrable displacement means in a position between
s5 a lower and an upper position, according to the present
invention.
Figures 3 and 4 show crosswise cross-sections of
examples of positioning and application of the outlet,
according to the invention. '
2o Figure 5 shows a cross-section of the boat,
indicating the position in a tank of the first water
penetrable displacement means.
Figures 6 and 7 show a number of tanks viewed from
above, without and with a top deck, respectively.
25 Figure 1 shows a boat 10 or a ship comprising a
storage tank 12 with live fish, where there is arranged in
the storage unit 12, such as a tank or a well, a first
water penetrable displacement means 14, in a first
position, and an outlet 16, according to an example of a
3o preferred embodiment of the present invention.
Adjacent to the storage unit 12, hereafter called a
tank, there is also arranged inlet means 18 and outlet
means 20 for water, which are used to regulate the water
content of the tank 12. These means 18, 20 are also used
35 to provide an overpressure in the tank to ease the
passage, i.e. the displacement, of the fish through the
outl~t 16. The position of the means 18, 20 is not
CA 02336237 2001-03-O1
restricted to that shown in the figure, but can be placed
wherever it is practically possible.
As mentioned, arranged in the tank 12 there is a
first water penetrable displacement means 19. This
5 displacement means includes a frame construction 22 which
is placed in the tank 12 such that its outer sides lie
adjacent with, or abut, the inner walls or sides, but with
a gap which makes it possible to move the whole frame
construction 22 in the horizontal direction of the tank
io 12. The gap is sufficiently small so that the fish cannot
pass between the frame construction 22 and the inner walls
of the tank 12.
To move the frame construction 22 horizontally in the
tank 12, other displacement means 29, such as rollers or
wheels,~are arranged at suitable locations in or on the
construction 22. The displacement means 24 are led or
rolled on rails, or adapted plates, which are fitted to
the inner walls or sides of the tank.
In an example of an embodiment there is, in addition,
2o a wire and winch arrangement fitted (not shown) adjacent
to the tank 12, which is used to move the frame
construction 22 horizontally in the tank 12. This wire and
winch arrangement can, for example, include an electric or
hydraulic winch connected to a steel wire, preferably a
2s stainless steel wire. During operation of the winch, the
water penetrable displacement means 19 is moved
horizontally in the tank 12 by the steel wire pulling the
water penetrable displacement means 19 in the desired
direction, while the frame construction slides or rolls on
30 the rails or in or on the adapted plates, whilst
simultaneously being supported by the mentioned rails or
plates.
Together with the frame construction, a locking
system 26 is also provided, which can lock the moveable
35 construction in a desired position. The volume in which
the fish is kept can thereby be regulated in accordance
with the amount of fish which are to be transported, i.e.
the starting position of the first water penetrable
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displacement means when the tank is to be emptied of fish
must not necessarily be at the one end of the tank, but
may basically be anywhere in the tank.
Fixed to the frame construction 14 are water
penetrable 28 means through which water can flow, such as
a grating or a grid or a similar implement, which lets
water through. The opening in the grating must, of course,
not be so large that it will let the fish through.
At the second end of the storage unit 12, a water
io penetrable displacement means 30 is arranged which
comprises corresponding water penetrable means 28 through
which water can flow, which can also be fixed to a frame
construction if necessary. The water penetrable
displacement means 30 is moved in the vertical direction
z5 of the storage unit 12 with the aid of the wire and winch
arrangement, as described earlier. The second water
penetrable displacement means 30 can also be moved with
the aid of other devices, such as, for example, a
hydraulic/pneumatic piston system. If the tank is not too
20 large, the first water penetrable displacement means 14
can also be moved with the aid of a hydraulic/pneumatic
system.
As mentioned previously, adjacent to the storage unit
12 is also arranged inlet means 18 and outlet means 20 for
25 water, these are in turn connected to circulation pumps
which circulate the water in the unit 12, either as a
closed system or as an open system to sea. The pump, or
the pumps, (not shown) will provide an overpressure in the
storage unit, something which thereby eases the moving of
3o the fish from the first storage unit to the adjacent'
second storage unit.
The first storage unit 12 is normally a tank on board
a ship or a boat, and the adjacent second storage unit is
normally a tank in or at the slaughtering plant, or it
35 can, for example, be a feeding tank. Within the scope of
this invention, the first storage unit can, for example,
also comprise of a tank which is not on board a ship or a
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boat, but which is placed on land adjacent to another
tank.
Figure 1 shows as an example that the whole storage
unit 12 is filled with fish. When the tank is to be
emptied, the water penetrable displacement means 14 is
normally arranged at the vne end pf the tank, but if there
is little fish, the displacement means can, for example,
be arranged closer. to the tank's second end.
Before the fish are moved out of the tank, outlet
1o means are arranged at the second end of the tank. These
outlet means preferably include a lower inlet funnel 33,
and possibly an intermediate piece of pipe 32 and an
outlet funnel 39 which in turn can be connected to an
external pipe or a tubing. The intermediate piece of pipe
1s 32 is used if there are, for example, two or more storage
tanks on board the ship, and the fish are to be moved from
one tank on the port side of the ship to a storage unit
adjacent to the starboard side of the ship. As shown in
figure 9, the piece of pipe 32 is placed in adapted
20 openings between, or over, the adjacent tanks on board the
boat, and is connected to the outlet funnel 34.
The fish are thereafter moved in the horizontal
direction of the tank by moving the first water penetrable
displacement means 14, from the tank's first end towards
zs its second opposite end to a stop position adjacent to the
second water penetrable displacement means 30. As the fish
are moved towards the second end of the storage unit,
where there is, as mentioned, arranged outlet means, and
because the pump, or pumps, are providing an overpressure
30 in the tank, the fish will swim through the outlet means
and to the second storage unit.
When the first water penetrable displacement means 19
stops in its stop position at the tank's second end, the
lower inlet funnel 33 is removed, i.e. the lower part of
35 the outlet means is removed before the second water
penetrable displacement means 30 is moved from its lower
position. Alternatively, if the lower inlet funnel cannot
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be used, the fish will then be moved directly to the
adjacent second storage unit through the outlet funnel 34.
To move the remaining fish, when the first water
penetrable displacement means 14 has reached its stop
position adjacent to the second water penetrable
displacement means, the second displacement means is moved
in the tank's vertical direction from a lower to an upper
position. The sides of the tank and the first displacement
means provide a vertical channel in which the fish now can
to swim and the fish will thereby swim out through the outlet
funnel 34, as shown in figure 3.
This displacement means can be used for unloading one
or more storage rooms simultaneously, and it can also
deliver a minimum bf two types of fish according to how
many storage rooms there are on board the boat or the
ship.
To aid monitoring of the unloading of the fish, and
also to monitor the condition of the fish during
transport, video cameras and lights 36 can, for example,
2o be fitted in the storage tank, as shown in figure 6.
In addition, means can be arranged to regulate the
supply of oxygen in the tank, and also means to regulate
the temperature in the tank. These can be in connection
with the mentioned pump system, or be independent separate
systems.
Figure 7 also shows inspection hatches 38 and storage
room hatches 40 seen from above the tank, in which the
hatches 40 can be used for loading and possibly also for
unloading of the fish, in situations where it is not
3o possible, or desirable, to use the device and method
according to the invention.
According to the invention, there is thus provided a
new method and device for displacement of live fish from a
first storage unit, in which the fish are moved by the aid
of water penetrable displacement means and swim through an
outlet to a second external storage unit.
