Optimar has been a key technology partner in the project that has now won the first-ever Catch Welfare Innovation Award: the Nephrops Stunning & Tailing Machine.
The machine automates both stunning and tailing, a process that is still performed manually on board today.
The award highlights solutions that improve animal welfare and working conditions in the seafood industry, marking a significant breakthrough for the UK nephrops fishery.
Today’s manual handling is both demanding and physically challenging for the crew, while also presenting challenges related to animal welfare. The award-winning prototype offers a more humane process and provides a safer and more efficient workflow on board.
“At Optimar, we rely on our experience to ensure good animal welfare by stunning the nephrops first. After that, the process is handled by a machine that uses the latest camera technology and machine learning to divide each nephrops into a tail portion and a head portion”
explains Lars André Langøyli Giske at Optimar
The machine was tested on board the vessel Golden Ray in May 2025, where it delivered stable performance under real, high-pressure conditions. Optimar has contributed key mechanical and technical solutions, working closely with fishermen and research partners to ensure seamless integration of the technology across different vessel types.
The technology needs to handle real working conditions at sea
“This project shows what’s possible when the entire industry works toward the same goal. The technology has to withstand real life at sea, and that’s exactly the standard we set at Optimar”
says Mårten Jørgensen of Optimar.
The project is the result of a broad industry effort led by the UK trade organization FIS (Fisheries, Innovation & Sustainability). For Optimar, the award is a clear confirmation that targeted development work, hands-on testing, and close collaboration with end-users are what create solutions that genuinely make a difference, for both the crew and the catch.
The next steps focus on further development, commercialization, and supporting the industry as it adapts to new animal-welfare requirements.
About Optimar
Optimar is a leading provider of technology and solutions for seafood handling and processing – onboard, onshore, and in aquaculture. Since 1978, we have developed systems that streamline operations and support a more efficient and sustainable seafood industry.
As a complete partner, we deliver the entire value chain from planning and design to installation and service to customers worldwide. Optimar is headquartered in Valderøya, Norway, but has offices in the USA, Spain and Romania.
