Unlocking the Potential of Fish Nutrition, Products, and By-Products for Food Security and, Environmental Sustainability: Current Knowledge Gaps and Future Research Directions
Abstract
Fish and aquaculture products are critical to global food security, human nutrition, livelihoods, and environmental sustainability. Despite extensive research on fish nutrition, processing, and by product utilisation, current efforts often fail to fully harness the potential of fish-derived resources, particularly by-products, for broader societal and ecological benefits. Fish provide high-quality protein, essential fatty acids, vitamins, and minerals, while by products such as skin, bones, viscera, and scales can be transformed into value-added products including fishmeal, fish oil, bioactive peptides, and organic fertilisers. However, integration of these resources into circular and sustainable food systems remains limited, constrained by technological, economic, and policy-related barriers. Environmental impacts of aquaculture, such as inefficient resource use, waste generation, and ecosystem disruption, further challenge the sector’s contribution to sustainable development. This review synthesises the current knowledge gap on fish nutrition, products and by-product valorisation, highlighting their roles in enhancing food security, promoting environmental sustainability, and improving human well-being. It identifies critical knowledge and application gaps, including the need for scalable processing technologies, standardised nutritional assessment methods, comprehensive life-cycle analyses, and inclusive approaches that integrate food, feed, functional ingredients, and ecological benefits. Strategic recommendations are provided to guide future research, innovation, and policy-making, emphasising sustainable aquaculture practices, circular utilisation of by products, and holistic management of environmental and nutritional outcomes. By addressing these gaps and adopting integrative strategies, the aquaculture sector can maximise its contributions to resilient food systems, environmental stewardship, and human health and well-being.