Packing is where most shipping losses are decided — long before the box reaches the airport. The variables are simple, but they pull against each other.
Water and oxygen
Each fish travels in a double bag, roughly one third water to two thirds pure oxygen. More water buffers waste but adds freight weight; more oxygen extends the safe window but makes the bag prone to rolling. We size the ratio to the species and the flight, not to a fixed rule.
Fasting before the flight
Fish are held without food for 24 to 48 hours before packing. An empty gut means far less ammonia in the bag, which is the single biggest factor over a long transit.
The box itself
- Styrofoam liner inside a double-wall carton.
- Heat or gel packs sized to the destination climate, never in contact with a bag.
- Species-level labelling on the outside, matching the health certificate.
Transit planning
We book to minimise time on the tarmac rather than to minimise price. A cheaper routing that adds a six-hour layover in a hot transit hub costs far more in arrival losses than it saves in freight.