Researchers seek seafood sector insight to unlock by-product prize

Researchers from Aberdeen have put a call out to the seafood sector to understand why it could be missing out on netting the full potential of its catch by getting more value from by-products. 

The team of researchers from The James Hutton Institute have been looking at opportunities to achieve better value throughout the seafood supply chain, including from by-products.

For instance, in Scotland a large amount of the fish and shellfish landed locally is exported, with processing potentially happening elsewhere, which could also limit opportunities for getting more value from by-product. But we need to learn more, which is why it’s important people take the survey. If we can help pinpoint what the opportunities are, it could also help bring in innovative players, funding and opportunities to collaborate and lead to a more circular approach in the seafood supply chain.”

To fill in the survey, visit here.

The results of the work, part of an EU-wide project called LOWINFOOD, will be shared with UK and EU policy makers, which could help further unlock opportunities for seafood sector in Scotland, Germany, and elsewhere in Europe and the world.

Scotland landed 429,000 tonnes of sea fish and shellfish in 2022, with a gross value of £617 million in 2022, according to Scottish Government data, with the most being landed in northeast Scotland.

“One challenge for the sector in Scotland is the segmented nature of the supply chain,” explains Dr Simone Piras, an economist at the Hutton. “Data collection is more convenient in less segmented supply chains  and they’re able to see where there are opportunities to turn what might be seen low-value by-product into valued products like collagen or even skin grafts, using the fish skin. By learning more about good practices around the world, we hope we can identify similar opportunities here in Scotland.” 

The team also hope to learn from and share innovations from other countries like Iceland and Norway, but also from other food supply chains, like fruits and vegetables.

“By taking our survey, the industry will help us better understand where there could be opportunities and that will in turn unlock the potential for collaboration,” says Dr Piras.

“Also, our results will be presented to UK and EU policy makers, which will be important in helping make policy changes that could support the ability to get higher values from by-catch and by-product.”

Those taking part in the survey, which is open until the end of October, will be entered into a prize draw to win one of a number of £50 gift cards to spend in a store of their choice. They will also be able to access the results of the survey.

The project will run until October 2024, when there will be an event bringing in stakeholders from across the fish and seafood supply chain, including survey participants, to share the results.