A source of foreign currency

Fish processing waste

In Bangladesh, fish processing wastes can be a new item for exports and a source of foreign currency earnings. But, to do that, the country first needs a skilled base of human resources in this field.
Iceland has been utilising fish residues most successfully in the world since 2004. Iceland has also found many diverse uses of this waste. It is using the liver of fish to produce raw materials for medicines and cosmetics, while the skin of fish is used for fancy wearable items like belts and moneybags. Also, Iceland exports to Africa, where it is a special element of soup cuisine.
According to an expert, Bangladesh will not be able to do that right away, but should focus on products that are easy to make, such as fish meal.
Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) chairman Syed Mahmudul Huq said: “For now, Bangladesh wants to go for manufacturing of fish as a by-product. If it is done by maintaining proper nutrition value, the country would be benefited.”
According to him, if Bangladesh can preserve and even export a third of the fish residues it generates, the country can earn Tk 8,000 crore a year by exporting the remains of fish. “But to do that, robust planning is needed,” he said.
Bangladesh generates 3.70 million metric tonnes of fish processing waste a year, according to data from the Department of Fisheries.
“We want to create new opportunities by involving global entrepreneurs and businesses, and also seek to learn from the experiences of other countries,” Mahmudul Haque said.
Remains of the day
During the processing of fish, large quantities of waste are generated and discarded. These residues, or fish processing wastes (FPWs), which represent an environmental problem for the fishing industry, constitute an important source of proteolytic enzymes and protein.
The most important digestive enzymes from fish and aquatic invertebrate viscera are trypsins. These enzymes have a high activity over a wide range of pH and temperature conditions, and exhibit high catalytic activity at relatively low concentrations. These characteristics have made them suitable for different applications in many food processing operations. This has also made fish processing wastes financially viable.
Fish waste is rich in potentially valuable oils, minerals, enzymes, pigments and flavours, etc. that have many alternative applications in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, aquaculture and industry. In addition to fishmeal and oil production, there is potential for silage production, fertilisers, composting, fish protein hydrolysate and fish protein concentrates.
Non-nutritional uses are provided by chitin and chitosan, carotenoid pigments, enzyme extraction, leather, glue, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fine chemicals, collagen, gelatine and pearl essence. There are countless other uses for this material—and new uses are emerging all the time.
Value addition
A research by BSFF showed that 71 per cent of the fish is consumed and 29 per cent is wasted.
Highlighting fish processing waste as a promising export item, Syed Istiak, principal investigator of the Fisheries Training Programme of the United Nations University (UNU) and BSFF ATC, said: “These by-products comprise heads, frames, skin, scales, fins, liver, viscera, tails, guts, shells, legs, etc.”
In Bangladesh, there are no processing facilities/ technologies for by-products to produce value-added products like fish balls, fish cutlets, fish sausages, fish meal, fish oil, cytosine, pet feed, etc.
Fish meal and fish oil are the most common way of adding value to fisheries processing waste and for turning it into a useful by-product.
A study conducted by the Fisheries Training Programme of United Nations’ University said: “In Bangladesh, currently 78 processing plants are in operation. Among them, 41 are located in Khulna and 32 in Chittagong region. Among these, processing plants in Khulna have an average capacity of fish processing of 2,000 kg, per day, in each factory, of which, 75 per cent is used for fish slice, block and steak, and the remaining 25 per cent is used as whole frozen/degutted. And, in Chittagong, each unit has the capacity to process 3,566 kg per day, of which 30 per cent is fish slice, block and steak, and 70 per cent for whole frozen/degutted/de-scaled.”
Among them, factories in Khulna produce 16.67 per cent by-products of 16.4 MT, while those in Chittagong produce 12.49 per cent, or 16.3 MT.
Promising sector
Mahmudul Haque said they want to explore the sector. Training is being imparted at the Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Academy (BMFA), Chittagong, to build up skilled manpower in the sector. A total of 24 trainees has been enrolled to receive training at BMFA. Later, they will arrange training for others to build up skilled manpower in the sector. Among the 24 trainees, four are university teachers.
Two others training courses would be arranged at Chittagong and Sylhet, after the conclusion of the ongoing training at the BMFA, he added. “There is a lot of challenges before us. We have to go forward by overcoming all the difficulties,” Haque said further.
A lack of skilled manpower, technology and investment are the main challenges confronting this sector. “If we can build skilled manpower and adopt technology, the sector would flourish,” said Nitya Ranjan Biswas, chief scientist of the Department of Fisheries.
“Vietnam, Thailand and India are doing good business in the fish processing waste sector. We also have potential and have stared working to take it forward,” he added.
“We have to set up a structure of the fish market so that we can collect fish residue from the market,” Mahmudul Haque said.
He said if a vendor sells 1 kg of fish at Tk 100, he gets Tk 10 from the customers, if the fish is processed. On the other hand, if the vendor sells the fish processing waste, he would get Tk. 20. Thus, his earnings would go up by 30 per cent. It is needed to make the fish vendor understand this. “We have to develop kitchen market and fish processing zones, so that the raw material becomes available,” he said. “If we want to build an industry, we have to keep material contingency here,” he added.

 

A source of foreign currency

Fish processing waste

In Bangladesh, fish processing wastes can be a new item for exports and a source of foreign currency earnings. But, to do that, the country first needs a skilled base of human resources in this field. Iceland has been utilising fish residues most successfully in the world since 2004. Iceland has also found many diverse uses of this waste. It is using the liver of fish to produce raw materials for medicines and cosmetics, while the skin of fish is used for fancy wearable items like belts and moneybags. Also, Iceland exports to Africa, where it is a special element of soup cuisine. According to an expert, Bangladesh will not be able to do that right away, but should focus on products that are easy to make, such as fish meal. Bangladesh Shrimp and Fish Foundation (BSFF) chairman Syed Mahmudul Huq said: For now, Bangladesh wants to go for manufacturing of fish as a by-product. If it is done by maintaining proper nutrition value, the country would be benefited. According to him, if Bangladesh can preserve and even export a third of the fish residues it generates, the country can earn Tk 8,000 crore a year by exporting the remains of fish. But to do that, robust planning is needed, he said. Bangladesh generates 3.70 million metric tonnes of fish processing waste a year, according to data from the Department of Fisheries. We want to create new opportunities by involving global entrepreneurs and businesses, and also seek to learn from the experiences of other countries, Mahmudul Haque said. Remains of the day During the processing of fish, large quantities of waste are generated and discarded. These residues, or fish processing wastes (FPWs), which represent an environmental problem for the fishing industry, constitute an important source of proteolytic enzymes and protein. The most important digestive enzymes from fish and aquatic invertebrate viscera are trypsins. These enzymes have a high activity over a wide range of pH and temperature conditions, and exhibit high catalytic activity at relatively low concentrations. These characteristics have made them suitable for different applications in many food processing operations. This has also made fish processing wastes financially viable. Fish waste is rich in potentially valuable oils, minerals, enzymes, pigments and flavours, etc. that have many alternative applications in the fields of food, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, aquaculture and industry. In addition to fishmeal and oil production, there is potential for silage production, fertilisers, composting, fish protein hydrolysate and fish protein concentrates. Non-nutritional uses are provided by chitin and chitosan, carotenoid pigments, enzyme extraction, leather, glue, pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, fine chemicals, collagen, gelatine and pearl essence. There are countless other uses for this materialand new uses are emerging all the time. Value addition A research by BSFF showed that 71 per cent of the fish is consumed and 29 per cent is wasted. Highlighting fish processing waste as a promising export item, Syed Istiak, principal investigator of the Fisheries Training Programme of the United Nations University (UNU) and BSFF ATC, said: These by-products comprise heads, frames, skin, scales, fins, liver, viscera, tails, guts, shells, legs, etc. In Bangladesh, there are no processing facilities/ technologies for by-products to produce value-added products like fish balls, fish cutlets, fish sausages, fish meal, fish oil, cytosine, pet feed, etc. Fish meal and fish oil are the most common way of adding value to fisheries processing waste and for turning it into a useful by-product. A study conducted by the Fisheries Training Programme of United Nations University said: In Bangladesh, currently 78 processing plants are in operation. Among them, 41 are located in Khulna and 32 in Chittagong region. Among these, processing plants in Khulna have an average capacity of fish processing of 2,000 kg, per day, in each factory, of which, 75 per cent is used for fish slice, block and steak, and the remaining 25 per cent is used as whole frozen/degutted. And, in Chittagong, each unit has the capacity to process 3,566 kg per day, of which 30 per cent is fish slice, block and steak, and 70 per cent for whole frozen/degutted/de-scaled. Among them, factories in Khulna produce 16.67 per cent by-products of 16.4 MT, while those in Chittagong produce 12.49 per cent, or 16.3 MT. Promising sector Mahmudul Haque said they want to explore the sector. Training is being imparted at the Bangladesh Marine Fisheries Academy (BMFA), Chittagong, to build up skilled manpower in the sector. A total of 24 trainees has been enrolled to receive training at BMFA. Later, they will arrange training for others to build up skilled manpower in the sector. Among the 24 trainees, four are university teachers. Two others training courses would be arranged at Chittagong and Sylhet, after the conclusion of the ongoing training at the BMFA, he added. There is a lot of challenges before us. We have to go forward by overcoming all the difficulties, Haque said further. A lack of skilled manpower, technology and investment are the main challenges confronting this sector. If we can build skilled manpower and adopt technology, the sector would flourish, said Nitya Ranjan Biswas, chief scientist of the Department of Fisheries. Vietnam, Thailand and India are doing good business in the fish processing waste sector. We also have potential and have stared working to take it forward, he added. We have to set up a structure of the fish market so that we can collect fish residue from the market, Mahmudul Haque said. He said if a vendor sells 1 kg of fish at Tk 100, he gets Tk 10 from the customers, if the fish is processed. On the other hand, if the vendor sells the fish processing waste, he would get Tk. 20. Thus, his earnings would go up by 30 per cent. It is needed to make the fish vendor understand this. We have to develop kitchen market and fish processing zones, so that the raw material becomes available, he said. If we want to build an industry, we have to keep material contingency here, he added.