Marine by-products - a huge unexploited potential for value adding

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By-products from Norwegian fisheries, included fish farming consist of viscera (liver, roe, stomachs, etc.), heads, backbones, cuts and rejected fish from processing. The by-products are generated when the fish is gutted, headed and further processed - either on-board fishing vessels or in processing plants on shore. The Norwegian fisheries produce about 815.000 tons of by-products annually (2011), which is 30 % of all the fish caught and farmed in Norway. Today most of the by-products are used as raw materials for feed production; such as fish meal and silage. About 195.000 tons are still dumped into the sea, mainly from the fishing fleet. The total value adding represents between 2,0 bill. and 2,5 NOK. If we succeed to utilize more of the by-products as food for humans and as ingredients in foodstuff, health foods, nutraceuticals, cosmetics etc., the value adding can be multiplied.