Patent ID: 7980925

Claim:
A device for processing fish, the device comprising: an elongate member comprising a floor and opposing side walls forming an open channel through which a fish can pass; at least one fish processing means associated with the channel, wherein the at least one fish processing means includes a member which can act on the body of the fish when at a set point in the channel, and wherein said at least one fish processing means is selected from the group consisting of means for stunning a fish, means for ex-sanguinating a fish, means for gutting a fish, means for inoculating a fish, means for tagging a fish, means for scaling a fish, means for cleaning a fish, and combinations thereof; a vertical guide plate pivotally mounted on each side of the channel, having a firing position, wherein an end of a guide plate distal the pivotal mounting is at or near the set point and the pivotal mounting is between the set point and a channel entrance, and a retracted position, wherein each guide plate is near parallel to a side wall of the channel; a mechanism for moving at least the member of the at least one fish processing means from a firing position at or near the set point to a retracted position which allows passage of the fish through the channel after being acted on by the member; a mechanism for pivoting each guide plate between the firing and retracted positions; a trigger that when contacted by the head of the fish at the set point activates the member of the at least one fish processing means; and a mechanism for resetting the device after the processing of a fish, wherein the resetting mechanism is in communication with the trigger and wherein actuation of the mechanism by the trigger facilitates: activation of the at least one fish processing means; movement of at least the member of the at least one fish processing means and guide plates from their respective firing positions to their respective retracted positions; return of at least the member of the at least one fish processing means and the guide plates to the firing position after the at least one fish processing means and guide plates have attained the retracted position; and priming of the at least one fish processing means.