Engineering tools and technologies for fish processing: A profitable venture in Agri-business

Abstract

Fisheries comprise a major economic activity within complex interactions between human beings and water-'the first among equals' of the natural resources (Ahmed, 1992). Fisheries data assembled by the Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) suggest that global marine fisheries catches increased to 86 million tones in 1996, then slightly declined. In the past three decades, employment in fisheries and aquaculture has grown at a higher rate than the growth of world population. The fishery engineering is evolving as an important domain in view of depleting stocks on both pre and post-harvest scenarios. It will also aid in fish processing technologies, optimizing energy and water use in seafood industries, mitigating climate change related issues and reducing carbon foot print. It is important to explore novel ways to obtain, quantify and integrate industry responses to declining fishing stocks and increasing management regulations into fishery-an ecosystem-based management advice. The technological interventions help to reduce the wastage of fishes, which is otherwise a highly perishable commodity by preservation technologies and converting it into value added products with higher shelf life. Use of appropriate technologies along the fish value chain will help in producing better quality products and fetch more markets and higher price.