Stolt Sea Farm (SSF) has joined a partnership project, called Life Refish, to reduce waste and optimise the use of by-products from fishing activity, according to the company's release.
The partnership is headed up by Galician canned seafood company Jealsa and includes other industry leaders Grupo Nueva Pescanova, Oprormar and Valora Marine Ingredients, as well as SSF.
Together, the companies plan to establish a biorefinery to process fish that are caught but are, under European regulations, too small to be marketed and the seafood processing byproducts from aquaculture and fisheries. The fish and byproducts will be used in environmentally friendly products that can be marketed in line with all regulations.
Stolt Sea Farm's role in the project is to supply the biorefinery with the byproducts of fish processing, such as skin and bones. It will also research the potential value of these byproducts, for example, in the production of fish hydrolysate (a multi-purpose liquid often used as a fertiliser) and collagen fish oil.
Ultimately, Life Refish aims to support fishing communities – as undersized fish are deducted from their quotas – and the sustainability of the seafood industry as a whole.