Scottish Ocean Cluster sets out plans to turn waste into value
Six months on from its beginning, an initiative to minimise waste in the Scottish seafood sector, and potentially treble its value, has seen around 70 organisations agreeing in principle to take part.
The Scottish Ocean Cluster is spearheaded by Seafood Scotland in partnership with the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), Zero Waste Scotland, Opportunity North East and Aberdeenshire Council.
Following the Scottish Government’s pledge to provide funding for the Cluster among other business initiatives, during Scottish Government Innovation Week (22-26 September), the Cluster has revealed its plans for the future.
As well as carrying out a recruitment drive to find a dedicated project manager for the initiative, the Cluster has been carrying out detailed research on volumes of Scotland’s whole fish imports, exports and landings, to more accurately calculate the potential future value of more than 10 different types of side stream products.
By harnessing biotech expertise, these fish side streams can be used to create a range of products for a variety of sectors. For example, this could include using scallop shells in construction or making value added nutritional supplements from marine collagen.
The 70 organisations who have already expressed interest in working with the Cluster comprise seafood processers, converters and public sector bodies including those in construction, energy, nutritional supplements, enzyme extraction, specialist feeds and start-up investors.
Over the space of three years, the Scottish Ocean Cluster believes it could potentially treble the market value of the estimated 265,000 tonnes of fish “waste” from all sectors which currently either goes to fish meal, fish oil or back to source.
This week, the Scottish Government announced that it was earmarking nearly £2m in funding for collaborative clusters across a range of industries. And earlier this year, at Seafood Expo Global in Barcelona, both the Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, Mairi Gougeon, and UK Fisheries Minister Daniel Zeichner, welcomed the Cluster’s contribution.
Donna Fordyce, CEO of Seafood Scotland, said: "In the six months since its official launch, the Scottish Ocean Cluster has reached a pivotal point in its journey. The funding and interest we’ve seen so far is a clear indication of the appetite across some of Scotland’s key sectors to embrace innovation and secure a sustainable future for our coastal rural fishing communities.
“Our research and incoming enquiries so far have uncovered even more opportunities to extract value from Scotland’s fish and shellfish than we knew existed. It’s a clear indication that, as one of the world’s largest producers, our seafood sector has the potential to help Scotland live up to its reputation for forward-thinking innovation.
“We’re making excellent progress so far, but we still have a long way to go, and realising our ambitions requires cross-sector support as well as funding to bring planned projects to life.”
Audrey Nicoll, MSP for Aberdeen South and North Kincardine, has also shown support for the Cluster. She said: "I wholeheartedly welcome the progress made by those driving the Scottish Ocean Cluster. The initiative promotes entrepreneurship and the evolution of the blue economy - marrying one of Scotland’s most historic industries with the latest biotech innovations to create vibrant and sustainable local economies."
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