STORY / PUBLIC SOURCE RECORD
Using life science to create high-value products from marine residuals
- Published 9 March 2023; updated 25 March 2026; estimated reading time 5 minutes. The article describes marine residuals—fish skin, viscera, heads, bones and shellfish shells—as inputs for health, medicine, food and feed products. It cites FAO data that residual material may comprise 35% of fishery/aquaculture harvest by mass; Life Science Cluster representative Hanne Mette Dyrlie Kristensen says only about two-thirds of salmon weight becomes fillets. The page also says Norway was already using 82% of fishery/aquaculture harvest in some way, while arguing for greater value recovery.
- Blue-health examples: Arctic Bioscience uses herring roe, formerly discarded during processing, for pharmaceutical and supplement compounds including its omega-3 phospholipid extract Romega. Marealis turns Arctic prawn shells into PreCardix bioactive peptides; the page describes it as clinically proven to lower blood pressure. Aker BioMarine harvests Antarctic krill using low-/zero-emission technology and supplies ingredients for aquaculture, animal feed and human supplements. Zooca harvests Calanus finmarchicus and makes human-health fatty-acid supplements and aquaculture-feed ingredients.
- Residuals can also support aquaculture quality and health. The article cites a Norwegian goal of increasing seafood exports fivefold by 2050 and says better feed could improve fish health/welfare and create a circular-economy benefit. It states Norway has among the lowest farmed-fish antibiotic-use rates and that seven in ten vaccinated farmed fish worldwide receive Pharmaq vaccines. STIM uses bacteriophages targeting Yersinia bacteria in farmed fish as an alternative to antibiotics. Bioretur converts fish sludge to fertiliser; AMOF-Fjell processes trawler waste into marine-protein products.
- The Life Science Cluster works with NCE Blue Legasea (wild marine raw materials) and Biotech North (blue biotech) to create value chains. Kristensen says regulation may lag new uses and clusters are engaging Norwegian and European authorities. The cluster spans health, technology, marine and agriculture organisations and aims to increase collaboration across industry, academia and public/private sectors.
- Related industries: Circular economy; Health and life science. No direct contact block is shown; interviewee is Hanne Mette Dyrlie Kristensen, VP Investor Relations, Business Development and Collaboration at The Life Science Cluster.