A study on strategic direction for utilizing the marine fishery by-products

Abstract

In Korea, most of the fishery by-products are disposed of in the form of landfill, incineration, and marine discharge, and only some sources are recycled as feed and fertilizer according to the Waste Management Act. Despite many marine processing by-products such as intestines, shells, heads and bones are discarded, these partial components show significant promise as functional food ingredients. According to the report of the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, about 125 tons of fish by-products have been imported since 2018 and are being used to produce functional ingredients for health functional foods. Fortunately, the Act on Promotion of Recycling of Fishery by-Products was enacted in July 2021, providing a legal basis for recycling of fishery by-products. Accordingly, as the possible utilizing on fishery by-products is systematically secured according to the enforcement Ordinance in July 2022, strategic direction were then presented in order to promote the use of value-added fishery by-products. In this study, therefore, the current status of use of domestic and foreign fishery by-products was reported and the requirements for utilizing by-products for the development of high value-added biological resources were presented.