Byproduct utilisation

by Neil Aucterlonie, Technological Director, IFFO

Having been involved in several meetings in Europe this year relating to the notions of the circular and blue bioeconomies, it has been surprising to listen to discussions about the need to “valorise” so-called waste streams from fish processing.

This was again reinforced at a meeting in Brussels several weeks ago, but that is not an isolated occurrence for this kind of discussion.  Present at that meeting were a range of attendees, many from academia, with some also from blue start-ups, but also, interestingly, European Commission officials in support of the objectives of this initiative.
 

So, it’s a mystery then (according to some): What are we going to do with the waste streams from fish processing?  Well, at those meetings IFFO made the point forcibly that there is an industry that for several decades already has been working to the objectives of the blue bioeconomy, and the circular economy, by utilising the trimmings, offcuts and byproduct from fish processed for food in order to produce valuable products.

Those products are fishmeal and fish oil, and their manufacture in turn helps to support additional global protein production through their use in aquafeed, thereby supporting the developing aquaculture industry.  Despite IFFO and its predecessor organisations communicating this point over that period of time, the message still seems to be lost.

We are talking about a substantial volume of material that comes from this segment.  Of the roughly 20 million tonnes used very year to make five million tonnes of fishmeal and one million tonnes of fish oil, roughly about a third (c.7 million tonnes) comes from the fish processing sector.  The trend is also for this segment to increase over time, recognised by the FAO for the major contribution that it makes to global food security.

Interestingly there are also regional differences.  IFFO commissioned a study with the University of Stirling to look at the availability of fish processing material.  That study showed that in Europe the proportion is actually 54 percent of the raw material, with that increased figure being partly down to improved logistics and practicalities of collection and transfer to fishmeal plants.

The research also showed that actually there is more material available than is currently being used, partly due to processing fish at sea and other activities which makes collection difficult.

Read more HERE.

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