New Hutton study reveals untapped potential in Scottish seafood industry
A new study from The James Hutton Institute, Scotland’s pre‑eminent interdisciplinary research institute for sustainable land, crop and natural resource management, has revealed that better coordination could increase value in the Scottish seafood industry.
The study, which was conducted as part of the EU-funded project LOWINFOOD – Multi-actor design of low-waste food value chains through the demonstration of innovative solutions to reduce food loss and waste, sought to understand and identify waste in the industry by engaging with a number of stakeholder groups, including fishers, processors, retailers, innovators and policymakers.
They found that improved coordination among stakeholders could further improve resource-use efficiency and economic returns in the seafood industry.
The paper recommends that Scotland adopts a cluster model, such as the one currently used in Iceland. This model brings fishers, processors, innovators and researchers together in a neutral space, allowing them to pool resources, share byproducts and attract innovators. In Iceland, the model has helped the industry use more of every cod caught, and created new industries around collagen, enzymes, medical materials and more.
According to the study, Scotland generates tens of thousands of tonnes of fish byproducts each year – the heads, skins, guts and trimmings of fish which go uneaten. These byproducts are almost always turned into low-value fishmeal or fish oil, however, with better coordination, they could be turned higher-value products such as collagen, nutraceuticals, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and specialised ingredients.
This opportunity is not fully released because markets for these byproducts have yet to be established, and additional investments required for logistics, sorting and storage are not justifiable for smaller enterprises.
Additionally, when labour is limited, processing facilities tend to prioritise filleting larger, premium fish, while diverting smaller fish to lower-value uses, such as fishmeal and fish oil production.
The study found that initiatives funded and supported by several organisations, such as industry clusters, can help bring together people from across the industry and beyond. They help businesses, policymakers and researchers work together to support innovation and get more value from the catch, while making it easier and more affordable for businesses of all sizes to take part.
Dr Nazli Koseoglu, one of the study’s lead researchers, said, “The Icelandic Ocean cluster is a promising example of how industry, researchers, and innovators can work together to build a more circular seafood economy.
“It was exciting to see during our research that the Scottish seafood industry was willing to move in that direction.
“We should stop using the term ‘waste’ and rather speak of opportunities for circularity and higher value creation that could deliver lasting benefits for coastal communities and the wider economy.”
The study, titled Building a sustainable and higher-value seafood sector: Insights from a stakeholder dialogue in the Scottish value chain, can be read in full on Science Direct.
