Perhaps the most important part of shipping successfully is done well before fish are packed. It involves selecting the right fish for shipping and preparing them for the voyage. Only robust, healthy fish should be selected, with special attention to avoiding any diseased or damaged fish.
Fish for shipment should be staged for at least 24 hours ahead of time in clean, well-aerated water with all food denied. Withholding food from the fish for at least 24 hours just before shipment allows them to purge their digestive tracts, which greatly reduces the buildup of wastes during shipping.
It takes longer for larger fish to completely empty their guts. If the water is to be chilled for shipping, this should also be done gradually during the staging period. The fish should be housed in tanks where they can be harvested as simply and quickly as possible.
Many shippers have the fish pre-counted and housed in individual tanks that correspond to the bag that they will be shipped in.
Prophylaxis:
Prophylaxis is the treatment of a disease problem before it occurs. Because of the crowded and stressful conditions during shipping, parasites and diseases that the fishes’ immune systems would normally counteract can often get an upper hand and can cause disease either during the shipment or, more commonly, shortly after arrival.
Fish for shipping should be as free of parasites and bacterial disease as possible. With eggs or larval fish from a hatchery, this is usually dealt with already within the hatchery. But when fish are harvested from ponds, raceways or other grow-out tanks, parasites or opportunistic bacteria may be present so prophylactic treatment is recommended.
Some external parasites will be controlled with the changes in salinity used for reducing osmoregulatory stress, so no further treatment is required. However, many shippers will use a standard application of a broad spectrum anti-parasitic such as 12.5 to 25 ppm of formalin or 2 ppm of potassium permanganate to ensure that parasites will be removed from the fish before shipping.
Potassium permanganate is an oxidizing agent also effective against external bacteria such as Columnaris sp. In conjunction with adjusting the salinity, either of these treatments will remove many common external parasites.
Fish should be visually inspected just before shipping to ensure that no disease or health issues have developed during the staging period.
Getting registered:
Because of heightened national security, those who ship fish (or any cargo) via a commercial airline must become a “Known Shipper.” Registration occurs with each airline or freight forwarding company you use.
The requirements vary from simply providing proof of identification such as a valid driver’s license to an on-site inspection by the airline’ s representative. Contact the airline you plan to use to determine what they require and how long it will take for you to get registered with them. If you are using multiple shipping companies or airlines, you must register and be approved by each one individually.
Scheduling the shipment:
Getting fish from your facility to the buyer as quickly as possible is the key to success and requires good planning and scheduling. Commercial airlines make their schedules available online and in print. It is best to use the online schedules because they can change periodically, often before a new schedule can be printed.
Direct flights are always the best choice for obvious reasons. When a direct flight is not available, it is important to select the most direct route possible, with the shortest delay during layovers and transfers.
Depending on the airline, you should allow for at least 1 hour between connecting flights to ensure that the boxes make it from one plane to another. Look for flights that have additional connections after the one you have scheduled.
Then, if your first flight is delayed, your shipment might make the next scheduled flight. Having a shipment get stuck during a connecting flight is often disastrous, especially during extreme weather. Selecting an early morning flight is often best, as this allows the person who is receiving the shipment a full day to deal with flight delays or cancellations.
Be sure to check the weather conditions, including at any connecting airports. If you think there is a good chance that flights will be delayed or cancelled, it is always much safer to reschedule the shipment.
Another option is to use a direct shipping company. This is becoming more cost effective, depending upon the size and volume of shipments. The boxes are picked up at your location and a guaranteed delivery time can be arranged. This typically is more expensive than handling the shipment scheduling and delivery yourself, but it can save considerable time and other expenses such as driving to the airport.
Finally, communicate your plans to your customer as they develop. The best scheduling can be ruined if the customer does not pick up the shipment promptly.
Labeling the boxes:
The outsides of the boxes should be clearly labeled as containing live fish—in bold, easy-to-read lettering. Other warnings such as “Keep Warm” or “Keep Cool” (depending on the type of fish and the weather), “This Side Up,” and “Handle Gently” should also be prominent on the boxes. Many states and almost all foreign countries also require that the exterior of the box contain a label that states the number and species of fish contained in the shipment.
For large shipments with a wide variety of species, a “master” list can be attached to one box in the shipment. However, labeling each individual box with its contents is a good practice because it allows the receiver of the shipment to easily sort the boxes when they arrive. In addition to common names, the labels should also include the genus and species, or scientific names.
Each box should be numbered (e.g., 1 of 4, 2 of 4, 3 of 4, etc.) so the shipment can be accounted for easily at all times. Each box should also include the name, address, phone number and other important contact information for both the shipper and the recipient. All labeling should be done with water-resistant markers and labels.
Handling the boxes:
While most shipping boxes can withstand fairly rough handling, the fish inside can not. Train yourself and your employees to be as gentle as possible while loading and unloading the boxes. Always try to avoid any sudden jolts and even loud noises. The shipping process is very stressful on fish. Keeping them as calm as possible will increase their survival and health. Most airlines do a good job of training their employees to handle live fish boxes with extra care as compared to ordinary freight. Boxes should be boldly labeled to encourage gentle handling.
Authors:
Craig Watson, Kathy Heym Kilgore and Carlos Martinez
