Seafood's high protein content helps with muscle growth and repair, and omega-3 fatty acids—especially abundant in fatty fish like salmon and tuna—are essential for heart and brain health. Seafood is also a great source of minerals like selenium and iodine, as well as vitamins B12 and D, all essential for thyroid function, immune system support, and healthy bones. The demand for nutrient-rich, sustainable protein sources and rising knowledge of the health advantages of seafood have contributed to an increase in seafood intake worldwide in recent years. This increase in intake indicates the increased awareness of the benefits of seafood for maintaining a healthy diet and supplying the nutritional requirements of an expanding world population.
By understanding the nutritional value, we as a family initiated a new practice one year back, to purchase fish every Saturday for a week's consumption, it will be a great experimental shopping for my husband and me to taste a variety of seafood items, and my baby enjoys eating fish due to the shopping experience. But the sad news is that we have shifted four fish stalls within this short period due to poor quality. Generally, we choose the stall based on customer reviews, For about two to three months of purchasing in a fish stall, the product quality will be satisfied. But later on, we experienced a quality issue and shifted to another stall, it happened continuously. This made to think about how difficult to find the right purchaser for real seafood, what causes the quality issues, and how it is possible to overcome them in this technological era.
Data source from World Economic Forum
According to a World Economic Forum analysis, 23.8 million tonnes of consumable aquatic food will be lost or wasted in 2021, or 15% of the fish and seafood in our food chain. trash from wild-capture fishing and processing on land are the main sources of this trash. Nonetheless, a large amount of waste occurs at every stage of the supply chain, from sea fishing to sales. The paper highlights the necessity of technical innovation, enhanced infrastructure, and industry collaboration to minimize waste and enhance food security. These tactics can help the aquatic food sector contribute more to global nutrition and cut down on waste.
The Seafood Supply Chain's Complexity
Among the worldwide food industry's most complex and delicate supply chains is the seafood one. When it comes to seafood, the supply chain starts in the ocean, which is a dynamic and frequently unexpected environment, as opposed to terrestrial agriculture, where it starts at a farm. From the ocean to the plate, there are several steps involved in the process: harvesting or capturing, processing, packing, shipping, distribution, and lastly, sale and consumption. There are particular difficulties at each of these phases that can lead to seafood waste.
- Challenges in the Catching and Harvesting Stage
The process of gathering or harvesting seafood is one of the first instances of waste. Even before the seafood reaches the shore, overfishing, bycatch—the inadvertent capture of non-target species—and discards—fish thrown back into the sea, frequently dead or dying—are serious problems that contribute to waste. Furthermore, quotas and other regulations may compel fishermen to discard excess catch, which increases waste. Furthermore, improper storage on fishing boats can cause spoiling because inadequate cooling or preservation methods are used, especially in small-scale fisheries.
2. Processing and Packaging Hurdles
Source from Food and Agriculture Organization
The seafood is cleaned, filleted, and packaged for distribution once it is brought ashore and goes into the processing stage. The loss might result from careless handling and ineffective processing methods at this point. For example, poor sanitation can lead to contamination, making a lot of seafood unsafe for human eating. Furthermore, the preparation of seafood frequently entails the removal of inedible components, which increases waste if improperly disposed of. Seafood must be packaged to prevent spoilage during transportation, but improper packaging can also result in waste. Inadequate packaging can cause product deterioration, leakage, or damage while in transit.
3. Transportation and Cold Chain Logistics
Source from Food and Agriculture Organization
One of the most important phases when seafood waste happens is during transportation. Due to its high perishability, seafood needs to be kept cold from the time it is caught until it is consumed. Spoilage can occur from any disruption in this cold chain, including inadequate refrigeration, shipping delays, and logistical errors. This problem is especially severe in areas with poor infrastructure, as reliable cold storage is frequently unobtainable. Moreover, because the seafood trade is international, goods frequently travel great distances, which raises the possibility of spoiling because of extended transit times or delays at borders.
4. Retail and Consumer-Level Wastage
Waste in the seafood industry is also largely caused by the retail and consuming phases of the supply chain. Even if seafood is still safe to eat, retailers may reject it if it is close to or past its sell-by date. The desire of customers for the freshest products frequently drives this, causing retailers to overstock and squander unsold inventory. High levels of waste are caused at the consumer level by careless meal planning, inappropriate storage, and ignorance of basic handling techniques for seafood. Customers could buy more than they require or improperly store seafood, which can cause it to deteriorate.
Technological and Policy Solutions
To prevent the overall wastage of seafood, innovations in technology as well as changes in legislation are required. Reduction of bycatch through the use of more selective gear is one way that improved fishing techniques can assist minimize waste during the harvesting phase. By identifying uses for non-edible materials, processing technology advancements can enhance yield and decrease waste. Transforming cold chain logistics with improved refrigeration and real-time tracking can stop food from spoiling in transit. From a policy perspective, states can impose rules that promote waste minimization, such as lowering fishing limits to deter overfishing or helping small-scale fishermen upgrade their storage facilities.
Seafood has numerous obstacles on its trip from the ocean to the plate, which can result in enormous waste at every turn. In order to reduce waste, guarantee the sustainability of seafood resources, and feed a growing global population, it is imperative that these difficulties be understood and addressed. The fish sector may take significant steps toward a more sustainable and waste-free future by utilizing a combination of improved practices, supportive regulations, and technological innovation.
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