Anchovies, the waste of a predicted massacre. Meanwhile, the CNR produces Omega-3 from anchovy waste, using oranges.

The waste of blue gold: tons of anchovies caught using unsustainable methods have put their presence in the Mediterranean at risk. They are increasingly rare, and increasingly smaller. A real emergency for our seas and biodiversity.

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anchovy fishing

ANCHOVY FISHING

The most fished fish in the world? And the most beloved by Italians? The anchovy. But it's also the most wasted. This is demonstrated, for example, by the case of Sicily, where years of intensive fishing and uncontrolled and "special" licenses are decimating anchovies, one of the fish typical of our culture and gastronomic tradition. The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry Policies estimates annual production of 37.969 tons, of which nearly 4000 tons come from the Sicilian Mediterranean. Traditional fishing has long been replaced by unsustainable industrial fishing methods that have little respect for biodiversity and the balance of fish fauna.

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ANCHOVY MASSACRE

Thanks to temporary licenses issued every six months by the ministry, Sicilian fishing vessels can use trawl nets without too many restrictions, allowing them to catch, without limits, whatever they find on the seabed. Hence the massacre and the wasteMost of the anchovies caught are thrown back into the sea dead. Wild fishing has halved their presence in the sea, with a 30% decline. Anchovies and sardines are increasingly decreasingBoth in terms of the number of specimens present in the sea and their increasingly smaller size, the alarm is so high that it has even reached the European Commission.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Responsible consumption: we refuse small fish, they have been caught illegally (photo)

OMEGA-3 FROM ANCHOVIES

The waste of anchovies, a paradigmatic example of an unsustainable world, is even more scandalous considering the truly remarkable qualities of anchovies. And also their diverse uses, not only in the kitchen. Anchovies are used to produce Omega-3 dietary supplements and even as fish feed.
Talking about anchovies and Omega 3, a group of researchers coordinated by Mario Pagliaro of the CNR of Palermo has developed a sustainable and cost-effective method for extracting omega-3s without waste; no longer by boiling whole fish, but by extracting these precious nutrients from anchovy processing waste. How? Using limonene, a solvent found in orange peel essential oil.
A virtuous circle that unites Sicilian citrus growers and fishermen, preserves the marine ecosystem by reducing the amount of fish caught, uses surpluses for disposal in both supply chains, and supplies the pharmaceutical industry with high-quality Omega 3 at almost zero cost. Respecting the environment, and our sea. 
 
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