![\"Fresh](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/1756644496_898_960x0.jpg\")
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Shinkei Systems aims to offer the highest quality fish to broader consumers with the Japanese Ikejime technique.<\/p>\n
getty<\/p>\n
Why does sushi taste so good?<\/p>\n
Because the fish is fresh.<\/p>\n
How is the fish kept so pristine?<\/p>\n
The secret is Ikejime.<\/p>\n
Ikejime is the technique used by Japanese fishermen for centuries to slaughter fish instantly and humanely by inserting a spike into the brain. Then the spiral cord is disrupted to prevent rigor mortis and the blood is completely removed.<\/p>\n
Compared to a slow suffocation on the deck of a boat, Ikejime can dramatically improve the quality of the fish by reducing stress for the animal and minimizing the release of stress hormones like cortisol, adrenaline, and lactic acid. Also, by completely draining the fish of blood, the risk of bacterial growth is minimized and thus the source of the fishy odor is diminished too.<\/p>\n
The results are better quality fish, for which fishermen can charge a higher price.<\/p>\n
The benefits of the Ikejime technique are obvious, but how do you convince fishermen to learn an unfamiliar skill and switch their established daily tasks to something different?<\/p>\n
Enter Poseidon, the novel, automated AI-based Ikejime robot.<\/p>\n
How Poseidon works is impressive. It performs the ikejime process, which requires the skills and experience of fishermen, in under seven seconds.<\/p>\n
When a fish is placed in, the robot utilizes computer vision to identify the species, locate the brain, spike and bleed the fish, euthanizing it instantly. The fish then exits the machine into a temperature-controlled ice slurry.<\/p>\n
The machine\u2019s algorithm is trained not only to perceive different sizes and shapes of fish, but also to accommodate the realities of commercial fishing boats: wriggling fish, rough waves, and harsh weather.<\/p>\n
From a logistics perspective, Poseidon is around the size of a refrigerator and is installed directly on the deck of a fishing boat with minimal disruption to the normal workflow. Each device is equipped with a Starlink satellite, which not only allows the robot to make real-time software updates but also gives the fishermen access to WiFi at sea, which is uncommon in commercial fishing.<\/p>\n
Poseidon on a fishing boat.<\/p>\n
Shinkei Systems
\nReinventing The Fishing Industry With The Ikejime Technique<\/p>\n
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), approximately 30-35%<\/a> of the global fisheries and aquaculture production is either lost or wasted every year.<\/p>\n Saif Khawaja, founder of Shinkei Systems<\/a> and inventor of Poseidon, started to question the current state of the fishing industry while he was studying at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania as an undergraduate.<\/p>\n \u201cThe fishing industry has been largely untouched by technology. Many fishermen use the same tools to harvest fish that they did hundreds of years ago and the supply chain infrastructure lags behind animal agriculture. This gap presents a significant challenge to maintain the quality and freshness of fish,\u201d says Khawaja.<\/p>\n In 2022, the year after graduating from The Wharton School, he founded Shinkei Systems.<\/p>\n Even with Poseidon\u2019s easy-to-use technology, Khawaja had a hard time getting American fishermen to try it out. But eventually, he managed to convince them <\/a> to equip their ships with the robot along with a unique business model: the company provides fishermen with the robot at no extra cost and buys the fish that have gone through the Ikejime process at a premium price.<\/p>\n Khawaja says, \u201cCurrently, we have eight Poseidon working on ships in the Pacific, Atlantic, and the two American gulfs. The reaction to our technology from fishermen has been so positive that we cannot manufacture the machines fast enough. In some cases, partner fishermen have doubled their take-home margins.\u201d<\/p>\n Saif Khawaja, founder of Shinkei Systems and inventor of Poseidon.<\/p>\n Shinkei Systems Khawaja\u2019s goal does not stop at processing fish through Ikejime. He wants to offer the highest quality fish to broader consumers.<\/p>\n
\nSea To Table: Meticulous Quality Control Through Vertical Integrated Operations<\/p>\n