The major outlet for fish waste is fishmeal and oil production. Only small quantities of fish waste are currently utilized for other purposes, such as pet food, animal feed, fishing bait, etc. In some areas of the UK, fish waste primarily ends up in landfill sites. Fishmeal and oil production, however, requires considerable investment and there are significant economies of scale. Fishmeal and oil are produced world-wide and are traded internationally as commodities. There are currently three specialist plants in the UK which take fish for the commercial production of fishmeal and oil at Grimsby, Aberdeen and Shetland. These plants are under common ownership. Processors can only send waste material to these plants if they have passed a factory inspection and adhere to certain quality and supply conditions.

As highlighted in a study on the Morocco canned sardine production, fishing sector processors will benefit from developing vertical collaborations according to the value chain-based approach. This type of organization requires the competent authority to undertake a great deal of promotion and sensitization efforts. It will also: i) build on the efforts of all actors in order to promote the chain; ii) minimize value losses at post-harvest segments; iii) help to create a culture of business networking to improve their positioning in the global value chain and withstand international competition.