Case study
Turning Fish Waste into Wealth at Udupi
Primary fish processing generates enormous quantities of waste - skin, scale, visceral mass, heads, fins, filleting frames. This project converts that waste stream into a second income for fisherwomen.
What we found
- Large volumes of waste from primary processing were being discarded, creating a pollution problem for the community.
- The fish processing industry had no viable route to minimise this waste locally.
- Fisherwomen had no income from material they were already handling.
What we did
- Established a fish waste processing cluster with the fisherwomen of Udupi.
- Converted processing waste into fish meal and fish oil as commercial value-added products.
- Developed dried waste into powder for use in poultry and prawn feed industries.
What is different now
- Waste minimised and pollution reduced at source.
- A viable additional revenue stream for fisherwomen from material previously thrown away.
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