Playbook · Harvest planning
Harvest is where 20% of your annual margin lives.
A vendor-neutral, 5-phase harvest framework for RAS, cage and shrimp operators — from purging to cold-chain hand-off. Built from patterns we see across salmon, tilapia, seabass, trout and shrimp projects worldwide.
1. Pre-harvest planning (T-30 to T-7 days)
30 → 7 days outActions
- Lock harvest date against buyer PO, processing slot and logistics window
- Confirm biomass, size distribution and expected yield with last grading
- Book ice, oxygenated transport, live-haul trucks or reefer containers
- Notify processor, freight forwarder and health authority
Risks if skipped
- Slippage between farm-ready date and processor slot → quality loss
- Under-forecast biomass → missed contract volume and penalty clauses
2. Purging & fasting (T-72h to T-24h)
72 → 24 hoursActions
- Stop feeding 24–72h before harvest depending on species and temperature
- Run purge in clean water — target ≤0.5 ppm off-flavour compounds (RAS)
- Sample fillets for geosmin / MIB where the market is sensitive
- Reduce stocking density gradually to lower stress cortisol
Risks if skipped
- Over-fasting → weight loss and flesh-quality drop
- Under-purging RAS fish → off-flavour rejection at retail
3. Crowding, pumping & stunning (Day 0)
Harvest dayActions
- Crowd slowly — target ≤ 60 kg/m³ for salmonids, welfare thresholds per species
- Use fish pumps sized to actual biomass flow, not nameplate
- Percussive or electrical stunning meeting local welfare regulations
- Bleed within 30 seconds of stun; ice-slurry within 5 minutes
Risks if skipped
- Prolonged crowding raises lactate → soft flesh, gaping, shorter shelf life
- Under-sized pumps damage fish and drop grade at processor
4. Chilling, packing & dispatch
0 → 6 hours post-stunActions
- Chill to ≤ 4 °C core temperature within 60 minutes
- Grade by size and quality; pack in ice-to-fish ratio ≥ 1:2 for whole fish
- Seal boxes with tamper-evident labels, batch codes and traceability QR
- Load pre-cooled reefers at ≤ 2 °C; log cold-chain from farm gate onward
Risks if skipped
- Slow chill window → 1–2 day shelf-life loss and lower price grade
- Weak cold-chain telemetry → rejected shipment on arrival, no recourse
5. Post-harvest reconciliation
T+1 to T+14 daysActions
- Reconcile farm biomass forecast vs processor yield — target ±3%
- Log downgrades, mortalities and rejections by cause code
- Feed learnings into next cycle's stocking density and grading plan
- Update FCR, feed conversion and cost-per-kg dashboards
Risks if skipped
- No post-harvest review → same yield loss repeats every cycle
- Missing traceability data blocks ASC/BAP recertification
Common harvest questions
Turn this framework into supplier RFQs.
FishMatch Group packages harvest, stunning, chilling and cold-chain scopes into confidential RFQs to project-matched global manufacturers.