Guidelines for the Handling of Live Seafood

General Guidelines for Live Seafood

All those dealing in live seafood products should ensure that aquatic animals are not subjected to undue stress or discomfort, with particular care taken during handling, storage, and display. Stress not only affects the wellbeing of the animal concerned, but also the ultimate quality of the product.

All live seafood offered for sale should:

• comply with government regulations,
• be safe for human consumption,
• be healthy and robust
• not be suffering an illness that will compromise the safety of the seafood; and
• should be handled and displayed in a humane manner.

Containers that are used to display, hold or transport live seafood products should be of a size to prevent physical damage to the animal. Only compatible species should be mixed.

Live seafood must be transported in conditions which minimise the stress that products are exposed to. If animals die in transit or whilst awaiting sale, there is frequently little cooling, and this makes it difficult to determine the quality and safety of this product. In this situation, it is recommended that the product be disposed of in a landfill site (to prevent the possible transmission of disease - carrying organisms, or the establishment of feral populations in waterways).

Although different species have different needs, all produce should be:

• kept at appropriate temperatures,
• kept moist,
• stored in appropriate containers,
• handled carefully.

To achieve the best survival and longest shelf life when live seafood is stored, ensure that it is kept in the optimum temperature and humidity range to reduce mortality.

If you are unsure about the optimum conditions to hold specific seafoods, consult your supplier, or the Australian Seafood User’s Manual for assistance.