Fish consumption is a wasteful business, especially where large fish species, notably bluefin tuna and swordfish, are involved. In fact, heads, tails and fins, as well as the offal (entrails such as internal organs) of farmed bluefin tuna individuals are regularly discarded in open waters, to the tune of thousands of tons each year. The fish waste stream arising through the trade of fish hawkers and markets as well as within households has yet to be characterised but is expected to consist of a mixed bag of discarded fish bones and skin, mainly, originating from several different consumed fish species.
This apparent ‘waste’ jars with the tenets of the circular economy that preach the reuse of resources so as to curb our dependence on raw materials. One should also not discount the environmental impacts exerted on marine ecosystems through the ongoing practice of disposing of bluefin tuna discards directly into the sea. Through the BYTHOS project, an Interreg Italia-Malta project involving three Maltese partners (the University of Malta, the Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture and the SME Aquabiotech), along with three Sicilian partners, the real value of such fish ‘waste’ has been demonstrated.
A number of Biologically Active Molecules (BAMs), notably collagen and fish oils, have been extracted from discarded bluefin tuna components within labs at the University of Malta by a research group led by Marion Zammit Mangion. Fish oils include a number of OMEGA-3 oils, polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DPA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid), which are marketed as popular nutritional supplements by virtue of their beneficial action on heart health.
Collagen is a protein naturally found in the human body, and is an integral component of connective tissue in skin, bones, muscles, ligaments and tendons. Collagen can thus enhance skin strength and elasticity, serving as an anti-wrinkle agent for skin. Collagen is applied in many skincare products to treat dry/damaged skin by addressing flaking and restoring suppleness. Collagen is used in face masks, face creams, serums, and several other skincare products. Collagen is also added to beauty drinks aimed to enhance skin and nail quality. The waste factor from fish-handling industries can be further minimised through the production of fish feed in pellet form for the aquaculture industry from the same waste, a milestone which has been achieved within the BYTHOS project by the Aquabiotech team.
It is now augured that the results of the BYTHOS project will lead to a shift in mindset, specifically at the way we perceive discards from the fishing and aquaculture industry, and that investments will be forthcoming so as to upscale the extraction processes showcased at the laboratory level to commercial ones. The local Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture is in fact developing the ‘BYTHOS lab’ within its premises, where the BYTHOS processes can be showcased to potential investors, a concept that is being emulated on the Aeolian island of Lipari, which is also a partner on the project.
2021 Times of Malta