ABSTRACT
The fisheries industry is an avenue of economic significance as it is now being perceived as a potential for many resources instead of mere waste. The fisheries industry globally has observed a many fold rise in production from 37 to 200 million tons and the per capita consumption has increased from 9 kg to 20 kg, in the years 1961 to 2016 respectively (FAO, 2018). Fish discarding is a frequent and fatal phenomenon where the unwanted catches are returned to the sea either in the dead or in the alive form. This in turn affects not only the fish as a species but also the entire marine environment. As per the stats by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), it is estimated that almost 50% of the more than 90 million tons of fish and shellfish caught across the globe are discarded each year. To realize these goals, it is important to develop technologies to take care of the waste with the help of by-products’ utilization and value addition. Fish can be valorized by using it in different forms like the protein present in the fish used for collagen, gelatin, protein hydrolysates, peptides, and bioactive peptides’ extraction. Lipids can be used for fish oil production. Fish waste can also be used for enzymes, pigments, calcium, and flavor production. It will not only enhance the circular economy but also release the bio-burden due to waste generated in the environment. The only intervention that must be done is the optimum regulation as this by-product valorization also comprises various food safety-associated risks.
