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Cold
chain,
Fish travels in an unbroken chain, with the temperature constantly
below +3 ºC
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In recent years herring
fishery has developed, and its ability to fulfil the requirements
of the food industry and consumers has improved. The cold chain
which guarantees the high quality of fish begins aboard the fishing
vessel already. The fish are cooled down in iced water immediately
after the catch is hauled from the sea. In winter the catch has
to be protected from freezing. The methods used vary according
to the size and the intended use of the fish.
HERRING
The herring catch is mechanically sorted out according to size
and cooled down in ice slush immediately after hauling from the
sea. The catch may divide into several different classes according
to the needs of the buyers. Trawlers catch herring for food and
for industrial use. The catch that is delivered whole to markets,
for further processing and for export requires short fishing
trips, sorting out in different size classes and cooling down
immediately after hauling from the sea. In addition, herring
is packed in insulated containers to travel cool all the way
to the consumers. When fishing herring for industrial use the
trawlers aim for bigger catches, which requires longer fishing
trips than average.
VENDACE
The vendace catch from seines and trawls often contains fish
of different sizes. The catch is sorted out either mechanically
or manually in the facilities ashore or in the fishing port.
Aboard vessels the catch from the trawls is cooled down in insulated
containers with iced water to the temperature of +3º C,
and in winter the catch from the seines is insulated to prevent
it from freezing. The fish going to retailers is usually divided
in two size classes, big and small vendace which are sold ungutted.
The vendace to be further processed is mechanically gutted by
some fishermen. The catch from nets is of equal size and requires
no sorting out. A precondition for the expansion of vendace fishery
is the arranging of refrigerated transport and ice stations built
on appropriate locations.
SALMON, WHITEFISH AND SCALY FISH
The fish to be handled separately are stunned, slaughtered, gutted
and cooled down. Stunning ends the stress caused by being caught,
and slaughtering cuts the circulation of blood between the heart
and the gills; the heart still keeps pumping and the blood bleeds
out from the tissues through the cut. In gutting the intestines
of the fish are removed, and a quick cooling down prolongs the
beginning of rigor mortis. In rigor mortis the pH of the tissue
of the fish drops and prevents the beginning of bacterial action.
If rigor mortis begins after the handling and cooling down of
the fish, the keeping quality of the fish improved to a great
extent. The whole handling of the fish naturally requires cleanliness
and great care.
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