In the US and Japan, Profitable Seafood Byproducts; Treated as 'Trash' in Korea

Estimated 7.54 Million Tons of Seafood Byproducts Generated in the Last 5 Years

Considering the Added Value of Seafood Byproducts, It Amounts to Losing 437 Trillion Won Annually, Equivalent to the National Budget

Democratic Party of Korea Representative Yoon Jae-gap (Haenam·Wando·Jindo) / ⓒ Asia Economy

[Asia Economy Honam Reporting Headquarters Reporter Kim Hyun] According to the National Assembly Agriculture, Forestry, Livestock, Food, and Maritime Affairs Committee member Rep. Yoon Jae-gap (Democratic Party, Haenam·Wando·Jindo), based on data submitted by Statistics Korea and the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries and its affiliated organizations for the national audit, it is estimated that an average of 1.51 million tons of fishery by-products are generated annually.

With the increase in annual seafood consumption, it is expected that seafood production and the generation of fishery by-products will also increase in the future. However, currently, only statistics on seafood production are compiled, and there are no official statistics on the generation and processing of fishery by-products.

According to Statistics Korea’s “Fishery Production Trend Survey,” the total fishery production over the past five years was 17.84 million tons, and based on this, the amount of fishery by-products generated is estimated to be 7.54 million tons.

Meanwhile, fishery by-products contain large amounts of useful components such as calcium, iron, protein, and DHA, making them highly recyclable and resourceful as raw materials for food and pharmaceuticals, as well as fertilizers and feed.

Accordingly, countries like the United States and Japan have enacted laws regarding the recycling and resource utilization of fishery by-products, managing and supervising these processes while developing value-added products.

The United States estimates that recycling one bushel (27 kg) of oyster shells worth 1 dollar generates an economic ripple effect of about 1,300 dollars. In Hokkaido, Japan, 97.2% of fishery by-products are recycled, with only the remaining 2.7% being incinerated or landfilled.

According to the U.S. oyster shell recycling standard, it was confirmed that a value-added effect worth approximately 437 trillion won could be created from 7.54 million tons of domestic fishery by-products over the past five years.

Our government is also promoting policies focused on increasing seafood production and consumption and is working on improving waste-related systems for fishery by-products such as oyster shells. However, policies for the overall recycling and resource utilization of fishery by-products remain relatively insufficient.

Rep. Yoon stated, “Fishery by-products require comprehensive and systematic management not only from an environmental perspective but also in terms of efficient use of limited resources,” and in June, he took the lead in proposing a partial amendment to the “Fisheries Act.”

Rep. Yoon Jae-gap explained, “The amendment establishes a precise definition of fishery by-products and provides a legal basis for their eco-friendly and industrial use through statistical surveys on recycling and generation processing.”