Rekstrarfélagið Eskja took the lead in a project to investigate whether it was possible to improve water use in fish processing. The preliminary project included basic information on water use in fish processing as well as organic substances lost in the wastewater.
With improved water use, it is possible to achieve operational efficiency and increase the value of production by utilizing by-products from the effluent from processing water. Water consumption in Iceland is much higher than in neighboring countries. Regulations impose stricter conditions with increased restrictions on waste disposal and waste of water. Requirements and regulations will be stricter when it comes to water use and discharge of wastewater after the implementation period of the Water Framework Directive enters into force in 2016. With the introduction of improved procedures and installation of equipment, water use can be significantly reduced and the use of raw materials for fish processing increased.
The status of knowledge was examined with respect to the aforementioned factors to analyze the benefits of clean production technology in fish processing. With clean production technology in mind, methods and proposals for improvements in processing processes with an emphasis on catfish processing - which are accessible in Matís report 39-12. The results of this project indicate that more can be done to reduce water waste and utilize the organic matter lost in the effluent.
Increased savings or increased profitability in operations can involve improved water use as a result of investing in new equipment and improved work processes. It can be expected that equipment manufacturers will be able to work on developing cost-effective solutions for fish processing. It can be assumed that a lot of work is being done to isolate the by-products that are lost with local processing water.
For further information Arnljótur Bjarki Bergsson, Head of Resources and Products.