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WEALTH FROM WASTES: CASE STUDIES

FROM AUSTRALIA

By Janet Howieson and Catherine Norwood

Emerging commercial and social imperatives have facilitated an Australian research effort into the development of
new products from seafood processing byproducts and low value species. A number of approaches and technologies
have been trialled, including improved post-harvest handling, enzyme hydrolysis, automated processing technologies
such as high pressure processing, injection and drying, as well as new work in reforming and extrusion. However,
commercial feasibility and particularly the need for consistent, quality supply in economical volumes, will rely on the
development of measures to overcome the large distances, broad species variety and low volume characteristics of the
Australian seafood sector.

focuses on halving per capita
global food waste at the retail and
consumer levels and reducing food
losses along production and supply
chains, including post-harvest
losses by 2030.

In Australia, the political and
scientific momentum supporting
this Goal is indicated by the creation
of the 10 year federal research
initiative, the Fight Food Waste
Cooperative Research Centre. This
initiative was launched in 2018 and
incorporates the seafood sector.
Credit: Janet Howieson
Meanwhile, the Fisheries Research
Bluefin tuna waste prior to hydrolysis and Development Corporation has
been investing in work to develop options for under-valued
Introduction species and waste products for more than a decade. Much
of this research has been undertaken at Curtin University
The past decade has seen a rising level of interest in, and in Western Australia, including a 2016 audit of the nation’s
1
concern about, the sustainability of the world’s wild harvest seafood waste . The results were in line with those of the
fisheries and aquaculture, including the generation of waste FAO; from 170 000 tonnes of seafood harvested annually,
in the seafood sector which amounts to some 35 percent 59 000 tonnes, or 35 percent, ended up as waste. However,
globally according to the FAO. This concern is underpinning this survey did not take into account bycatch, which is
efforts to reduce waste and driving industry participants to included in the FAO figures.
investigate ways to extract new value from byproducts. There
is a new will, both politically and economically, to address the Viable waste streams for value adding that have been identified
waste issue as part of broader social objectives and consumer included 35 000 tonnes from white fish; 12 000 tonnes from
demands. Further, at an individual company level there is redfish, 2 288 tonnes from shark and 1 520 tonnes from
often a focus on the commercial impetus or incentives to tuna. The audit prompted, and was accompanied by, a series
extract more value from waste and to offset the financial of case studies investigating the application of technologies
costs – and also the reputational costs – that might otherwise from other food sectors to the seafood industry, or changes
be associated with disposal. to existing processes to create new or improved value.

Putting it into a global context is the UN’s Sustainable
(Editor’s note: Readers will find the following report interesting: Howieson J; Curtin
Development Goal 12, which states: ‘Ensure sustainable 1 University, 2019. Final Report: Options for Utilisation of Seafood Processing Waste
consumption and production patterns’. Goal 12.3 specifically (FRDC 2013/711.40).

INFOFISH International 3/2020 ● www.infofish.org