Insights into fishery by-product application in aquatic feed and food: a review

Today, the fishery industry plays a crucial role in meeting the global demand for human food. However, the increased production and processing of aquatic animals like fish, shellfish, squids, and bivalves have resulted in a significant amount of waste generation. This waste, which includes fish heads, viscera, skin, bones, scales, exoskeletons, pens, ink, and clam, account for approximately 30–70% of the total aquatic product. The accumulation of this waste not only adds to production costs but also poses a serious environmental challenge. To address these issues, researchers have turned to utilizing fish by-products to extract bioactive compounds such as protein hydrolysate, chitin, chitosan, carotenoid, carotenoproteins, omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and gelatin. These compounds possess desirable properties such as antioxidant, antimicrobial, and therapeutic effects. As a result, they have grabbed the attention of the food and feed industry for various applications. In this article, we aim to provide a concise review of the bioactivity properties of these compounds and their potential applications specifically in aquaculture and seafood processing.