Once fish are brought aboard, quality can change quickly. Without fast and reliable handling, freshness declines and product value drops. That is why many vessels now include parts of fish processing on board.
Grading, filleting, and other key steps can be carried out at sea with automated systems. This reduces the time between catch and processing, keeps the product in better condition, and helps secure consistent quality for delivery onshore.
The Challenge: Maintaining Freshness at Sea
Manual processing on a moving vessel is, of course, difficult. Desk space is limited, things are moving around fast, and the environment can be unforgiving. Due to an often small crew capacity, sorting and filleting by hand takes time and can lead to uneven results, and even some injuries. When journeys are long or weather conditions delay work, the fish quality is often lost before even reaching the port.
For this reason, onboard automation is practically required at this point to keep up with industry demands and ensure the product’s integrity is maintained.
Onboard Automation: Extending the Processing Line to Sea
Automated Fish Grading at Sea
Modern grading units use cameras, sensors, and conveyors to sort fish immediately after they are brought in. Size, weight, and species can be separated within seconds. This makes downstream processing more efficient and prevents damage from repeated handling. Smaller fish can be directed to the right markets, while high-grade fish are protected for premium sales.
In-situ Fish Filleting
Onboard fish filleting solutions are evolving beyond simple cutting machines. Compact, marine-ready units are engineered to perform at sea under constant motion, salt exposure, and tight space constraints. Many integrate with automated skinning and deboning features, delivering ready-to-package fillets before the vessel even reaches port. This reduces the time fish spend in a whole state, which is when quality loss typically accelerates. Crew members also benefit from safer, cleaner working conditions, as repetitive and potentially hazardous knife work is replaced with precise, automated systems.
Shrimp Processing Line Integration
For vessels operating in shrimp fisheries, a dedicated shrimp processing line can make the difference between bulk commodity sales and premium-grade exports. Automated modules can handle deheading, peeling, deveining, and size grading in a continuous flow, even under demanding catch conditions. Some lines are built with modular designs, allowing operators to scale throughput based on the days haul. By reducing reliance on manual labor, these systems keep processing consistent and hygienic, while freeing crews to focus on quality control and logistics. The result is shrimp that retain their freshness and market value far better than those processed hours later onshore.
Advantages for the Seafood Processing Industry
Implementing automated systems aboard has multiple benefits across the seafood processing industry:
Traceability and accountability: Each fish or shrimp can be tracked from catch to final package.
Yield enhancement: Less damage and spoilage from manual mishandling.
Reduced labor burden: Less reliance on intensive manual labor in harsh conditions.
Quality consistency: Uniform grading and filleting quality before landing.
Faster time to market: Products arrive onshore closer to their ideal condition.
Peruza, as a solutions partner in the fish processing machines domain, has long been exploring how custom equipment can bridge the gap between sea and shore.
Implementation Considerations and Best Practices
To successfully deploy onboard automation, operators must account for:
Space constraints & modular design: Systems must be compact and adaptable to vessel layouts.
Marine robustness: Equipment must resist corrosion, shock, and saltwater exposure.
Power and control systems: Integration with vessel power systems and control logic (PLC, SCADA) is critical.
Maintenance access: Easy servicing at sea is essential to reduce downtime.
Scalability: Systems should scale with catch volume – small pelagic or larger species alike.
Peruza’s engineering teams specialize in tailoring fish processing machines that address bottlenecks and customize them even for challenging environments.Â
A Future of Seamless, Automated Fish Processing
Onboard automation is not just a simple upgrade for modern fleets, it’s a complete overhaul in how fish processing is understood. By pushing and streamlining core operations such as fish grading, fish filleting, and shrimp processing line, the seafood processing industry can reduce inefficiencies at an incredible rate, while maintaining high and smashing regulatory and market demands.
If you want to stay competitive, you can’t wait until fish reach shore to start processing. Automation aboard transforms freshness into a guarantee, not a gamble.
As the phrase goes, fish processing evolves best when it starts at sea, powered by automation.
