In shrimp trawl fisheries in tropical waters where the incidental catch of species other than shrimp can form the basis of a subsidiary, but important, local industry, providing food stuffs and employment to many. The way and speed with which this evolution occurs depends very much on local conditions but can be stimulated by new utilisation opportunities identified through research and development in the areas of fish technology, market intelligence and access to marketing information including exchange of information between different groups and regions.

The levels of poverty in many countries, in addition to rising population levels and increasing pressure on target species, suggest that markets for bycatch are increasing, thereby helping to make discard reduction in the form of bycatch utilisation increasingly economically feasible. Shrimp trawlers are also interested in developing bycatch markets due to falling profitability from shrimp trawl operations, and seasonal fluctuations in shrimp catches that allow for retention of finfish at certain times without any impact on storage capabilities of shrimp. In Asia-Pacific (especially Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Myanmar), many species have been found to have suitable gelling properties for the production of surimi products. Other developed products, or in the process of being developed, include fish mince, fish noodles, fish flakes, fish pickle, fish satay and fish jelly.

The retail sector is actively working towards bringing under-utilised species to the market, and chefs have an important role to play in creating new dining experiences. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) of UK, for example, has been working with industry to influence the market, remove barriers and create new incentives to improve sustainability for edible, under-utilised species through the Fishing for the Markets initiative. The work will identify the barriers and incentives needed to produce effective market-driven behaviour change and will serve to:

• Maximise the value from the existing catches (i.e. from a broader range of species).
• Decrease the reliance on the pressure stocks.
• Reduce wastage of natural resources.
• Support fishing communities.
• Increase revenue to fishers and drive greater efficiency in the supply chain.

In some regions, such as the EU, regulations require fishers to fully document catches and prohibit discarding. Fish buyers have a duty to source fish responsibly and to ensure fish is not illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU). Fishers therefore face pressure from the market to comply, otherwise the catch may be deemed IUU and unsaleable.

Linking better practice with market access are a feature of initiatives by the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) Fisheries Improvement Projects and the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP). These initiatives combine improved management and sustainability with market access to high value markets which demand high environmental, management and standards of quality and safety and hence are likely to promote practices which reduce food loss and waste (FLW).