A fish stunning apparatus comprises a fish feed-in device, a fish receiving space, which is loadable with fish in the head first position, a fish positioning means, which engages on the fish head and, for the purpose of stunning the fish, defines a releasable temporary stop position of the fish, said apparatus also comprises a stunning means for acting on the fish head, a trigger device for determining the stop position and for activating the stunning means, and further comprises a control device for controlling operation.

Locations on the fish head which come to rest in the fish receiving space), depending on the size of the head and/or body of the fish, should be positioned optimally for the purpose of stunning. A fish position actuating element can be controlled by means of a fish-size determining device and is connected to a positioning element of the fish positioning means for local adjustment, as a result of which any fish head can be moved automatically, according to the size of the fish, into a consistent position in relation to the stunning means. A trigger unit, which can be installed in the fish stunning apparatus, comprises the fish position actuating element with a trigger abutment element, formed by the positioning element, and also comprises a controllable control actuator for actuating the fish position actuating element.

According to a method for activating the stunning means, a fish-size-related control value, which represents the size of any fish, is determined and the positioning element is put automatically, according to the size of the fish, into an associated starting position.

Method and device for freezing food items in a gradual process, where the food items are first put through under-cooling before the food items are placed in a container or receptacle for freezing. The method and device are particularly suitable for freezing freshly slaughtered and bled fish for later processing.

Fish slaughter device includes fish positioning device with fish head abutment, against which the fish head abuts temporary stop position by controllable fish slaughter tool. Fish head abutment element is a trigger releasable by a trigger sensor of a controllable trigger controllable to move the fish head abutment into different trigger positions. device includes a first control actuator with a first actuator, a coupling device, connecting the fish head abutment to the first actuator for adjusting movement into the trigger positions, and an additional second control actuator with a second actuator controllably placeable in at least two fixed trigger adjustment positions. The two actuators are coupled so an adjusting movement of the first actuator is stopped by a coupling impact against the second actuator in a fixed trigger adjustment positions, which brings about an associated trigger position of the fish head abutment.

An electric gaff hook device includes an elongated pole having at least one hook that is positioned along the distal end. Each of the hooks including a curved shape, a sharpened tip, and a plurality of electrodes. A controller, user interface, power source and power output unit are provided along the pole. The power output unit receives power from the power source and sends amplified power to the plurality of electrodes based on a command from the user interface. The power discharged by the electrodes functions to stun and immobilize a fish for between about 1 and 3 minutes. A spike is provided along the distal end of the pole and includes a plurality of apertures forming a channel for receiving an elongated wire to euthanize and perform ike jime on the stunned fish.

A fish stunning device includes a submersible main body with a watertight interior that houses an electronic suite. The main body is securable onto a fishing line and includes internal weights for traveling underwater along the length of the line. A plurality of resilient malleable protrusions each having an electrode extend outward from the main body. Each of the electrodes is connected to the electronic suite and function to impart an electrical shock onto a fish that is engaged with a hook on the end of the fishing line. The electronic suite has a power source for receiving and storing an electrical charge and a power output unit for amplifying and discharging the electrical charge to the electrodes. A system controller communicates with a pressure switch and a user interface to selectively activate the electrodes underwater.

An electric gaff hook device includes an elongated pole having at least one hook that is positioned along the distal end. Each of the hooks including a curved shape, a sharpened tip, and a plurality of electrodes. A controller, user interface, power source and power output unit are provided along the pole. The power output unit receives power from the power source and sends amplified power to the plurality of electrodes based on a command from the user interface. The power discharged by the electrodes functions to stun and immobilize a fish for between about 1 and 3 minutes. A spike is provided along the distal end of the pole and includes a plurality of apertures forming a channel for receiving an elongated wire to euthanize and perform ike jime on the stunned fish.

Fish slaughter device includes fish positioning device with fish head abutment, against which the fish head abuts temporary stop position by controllable fish slaughter tool. Fish head abutment element is a trigger releasable by a trigger sensor of a controllable trigger, controllable to move the fish head abutment into different trigger positions. device includes a first control actuator with a first actuator, a coupling device, connecting the fish head abutment to the first actuator for adjusting movement into the trigger positions, and an additional second control actuator with a second actuator controllably placeable in at least two fixed trigger adjustment positions. The two actuators are coupled so an adjusting movement of the first actuator is stopped by a coupling impact against the second actuator in a fixed trigger adjustment positions, which brings about an associated trigger position of the fish head abutment.

Method and device for freezing food items in a gradual process, where the food items are first put through under-cooling before the food items are placed in a container or receptacle for freezing. The method and device are particularly suitable for freezing freshly slaughtered and bled fish for later processing.

An electric gaff hook device includes an elongated pole having at least one hook that is positioned along the distal end. Each of the hooks including a curved shape, a sharpened tip, and a plurality of electrodes. A controller, user interface, power source and power output unit are provided along the pole. The power output unit receives power from the power source and sends amplified power to the plurality of electrodes based on a command from the user interface. The power discharged by the electrodes functions to stun and immobilize a fish for between about 1 and 3 minutes. A spike is provided along the distal end of the pole and includes a plurality of apertures forming a channel for receiving an elongated wire to euthanize and perform ike jime on the stunned fish.

A portable system for handling and affecting a physiological state of an aquatic species with a pair of gloves, a multiplicity of electrodes, and a pulsator attached to the electrodes, so that when the pulsator is activated the current, alters the physiological state of the aquatic species. The system providing a regulated current output to control the flow of current through the aquatic species held between the pair of conducting gloves.