Fish Waste: Understanding the pollution potential and sustainable mitigation strategies

Abstract

Fish production expansion around the world has increased waste output, which has become a stressor to the environment, despite meeting the expanding protein need and can be considered as the other side of a coin. Similar to other waste, fish waste has the potential to cause environmental pollution if not properly disposed of. This chapter provides baseline information in this regard, and the main inferences are as follows: (1) Fish waste, both solid and liquid, has the potential to cause all types of pollution, with water pollution receiving the most attention because fish waste and effluent from fish processing industries are commonly discarded into water systems (2) Fish waste pollution has drastic effects starts with water quality alteration and ends with jeopardizing biodiversity (3) Cleaner production, valorizing fish waste, raising awareness, and implementing rules and regulations are a few ways to reduce fish waste pollution, with the transformation of fish waste into marketable products being particularly attractive from an environmental and economic standpoint. Finally, while fish waste is a cause of pollution in the ecosystem, it may be reduced with the proper procedures.