Building a sustainable and higher-value seafood sector: Insights from a stakeholder dialogue in the Scottish value chain

In value chains characterised by high perishability such as seafood, the lack of coordination can lead to suboptimal use of high value biomaterials. Establishing mutual understanding and common goals is key to developing long-term collaborations between industry, policymakers, and other stakeholders that can in turn help make the most of valuable marine resources. In this study, we present the results of a whole value chain dialogue implemented in the seafood industry in Scotland, a country where the sector has a significant economic and social role, and where increasing the catch-to-utilisation ratio has large untapped economic potential. Based on semi-structured interviews, we map the hotspots and types of waste, explore current valorisation routes and potential opportunities to improve value creation, identify the role of networks in this process, and provide policy and industry recommendations towards 100% use of seafood produce. Our results indicate that responding to recent world events has taken priority in the industry over adding value to the catch. This is especially the case for processing byproducts where competitive markets have not yet been established, and further investments cannot be justified, especially for individual companies producing small volumes. The cluster model, successfully adopted in Iceland, emerged as a promising option to achieve a critical mass in terms of flows, and to bring together researchers, innovators, and industry actors to build a more circular marine economy. However, building trust between industry and researchers is a preliminary step that requires significant mutual efforts.