Across HCMC, forward-thinking entrepreneurs are already effectively upcycling previously discarded resources.
“We purchase about 60 tonnes of byproducts from fishing vessels and processing plants every day”, shared Director Nguyen Thanh Loc of Phuc Loc Co. Ltd. “This allows us to produce 4,000-5,000 tonnes of fishmeal annually, generating VND72-90 billion (US$2.8-$3.5 million) in revenue. With the right support in capital and technology, we could easily boost the protein content to 64 percent, which would offset the need to import 140,000 tonnes of fishmeal each year.”
At Tu Hai Co. Ltd. in Phuoc Thang Ward, a similar story of transformation is unfolding. Whiting fish bones, once sold for mere pennies per kilogram, are now cleaned, dried, and exported to Japan for a remarkable $10/kg, bringing in VND10-12 billion ($393,000-$471,000) annually.
“Demand is surging, but we can’t produce enough to keep up. It’s an entirely new business direction for us”, said General Director Dao Quoc Tuan. On a larger scale, the Southern Fisheries Research Institute is turning low-value assorted crabs into high-end canned crab paste and producing chitosan powder, a versatile material used in medicine and agriculture that can fetch up to $1,000/kg.
Beyond industrial processing, seafood byproducts are also being reimagined as products for art and tourism. Every night, restaurants and processors discard tonnes of seashells. Seeing an opportunity, Director Nguyen Thi Hong Lan of Hai Lan Co. Ltd. organized her staff to collect and recycle them. Today, her company crafts souvenirs, intricate art pieces, and jewelry from these shells, with products selling for anywhere from VND40,000 to VND20 million ($1.57 to $785).
“Each seashell holds the breath of the ocean”, Director Lan confided. “I want to tell the story of Vietnamese culture to international visitors, all while reducing waste and creating livelihoods.” Her vision is gaining traction. Hai Lan Co. Ltd. recently signed an agreement with an authorized agent for Alibaba in Vietnam to list her unique shell products on the e-commerce giant, opening up a global marketplace.
This passion for transforming marine byproducts, infused with a message of environmental stewardship, is also inspiring the next generation. Nguyen Le Minh Chau, a high school student, recently proposed a creative business model at a local innovation contest: a “sea-style coffee shop” that doubles as a workshop where patrons can craft their own art from recycled seashells.
Industry forecasts project that seafood byproducts could become a colossal source of raw materials. Shrimp heads alone could yield 490,000 tonnes of food products. The scrap meat and stomachs from shark catfish could provide 100,000 tonnes, with an additional 150,000 tonnes of shark catfish fat.
The potential extends far beyond food. Shrimp shells could be converted into 146,000 tonnes of animal feed, while fish heads, bones, and organs could supply another 900,000 tonnes annually. The pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries also stand to gain, with the potential to create high-value compounds from hundreds of thousands of tonnes of shrimp shells, fish skin, and fish maws.
By 2030, the value of byproducts from the shrimp and shark catfish sectors alone is estimated to top $600 million. Deputy Director Pham Thi Na of the HCMC Department of Agriculture and Environment emphasized the city’s immense potential. “Valorizing these byproducts won’t just create tens of thousands of jobs; it will also enhance the reputation of Vietnamese seafood and alleviate the burden of industrial waste”, she stated.
To fully realize this potential, a strategic shift is needed. “We must treat this as a major industry, not one that relies on a spontaneous market”, asserted Deputy Director Pham Quoc Huy of the Southern Marine Fisheries Research Institute. He points to global trends moving beyond basic fishmeal and oil, toward extracting high-value peptides and enzymes, and even creating biomaterials and biodegradable packaging from shrimp shells and fish skin.
Supportive tax policies, green credit, and technology incentives are crucial to encourage businesses to make the necessary large-scale investments. When a strong linkage is forged between businesses, scientists, artisans, and the government, and when planning and infrastructure are in place, what was once considered trash will truly become “green gold”. This will nurture the marine economy, protect the ocean, and elevate Vietnamese seafood to new heights on the global stage.
Potential $5 billion industry
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment reveal that byproducts from the seafood industry account for 0.6 percent with about 1 million tonnes, mainly shrimp and crab shells, fish skin, bones, viscera, fins, scales, and crustacean or bivalve mollusk shells.
Seafood byproducts exist in solid, liquid, and gas forms, with the solid form accounting for over 90 percent. Except for bivalve mollusk shells, most of the other byproducts are easily decomposable, rotting quickly in conditions of about 27°C and 80 percent humidity, causing serious environmental pollution if not handled properly.
Currently, the value of processed seafood byproducts only reaches about $275 million per year, much lower than the potential of $4-5 billion.
