Flexible biorefinery to valorise discards and by-products of the European fish and seafood production
LIFE REFISH
Project Description
The fishing and seafood industry is central to the food security and livelihoods of billions of people, yet its sustainability is challenged by the following practices:
- Discarding of unwanted catch back into the ocean, which results in e.g., wasted resources and higher mortality of species. The EU Landing Obligation (LO) aims to cease this practice, yet compliance is very low since landing discards is economically inviable for fishers.
- Unsustainable management of fish and seafood by-products, which results in e.g., loss of valuable resources and introduction of disease into fish populations (infected by-products are thrown back to the sea). Current valorisation of by-products into fishmeal is unsustainable due to low value generated.
To overcome these challenges, LIFE REFISH consortium joins key international fish and seafood players with the aim of upscaling and demonstrating a biorefinery able to valorise discards and fish and seafood byproducts into high value-added products. Through a set of interconnected valorisation processes (e.g., hydrolysis, nanofiltration, vacuum evaporation), we will obtain high quality and environmentally friendly protein hydrolysates, oils, mineral fraction, collagen hydrolysates, gelatines, fish mince, chitin and chitosan. Thanks to the high value of our products, we will be able to offer fishers a 3-6 times higher price for their discards or by-products than current purchase price for production of fishmeal or oil.
By 2030, we will minimise by 1.8% discarding in Spain and valorise 1.9% of the total amount of fish and seafood by-products produced by the Spanish fish and seafood industry. This way, we will reduce these wasteful practices and their detrimental impact on the marine environment (disease proliferation, mortality) and industry sustainability.

This project has received funding from the European Unionâs LIFE Programme under Grant Agreement No. 101060814.
Project Details
- Call: LIFE-2021-SAP-ENV
- Grant Agreement no.: 101074323
- Consortium: 6 partners from Spain
- Coordinator: JEALSA
- Starting date: 01/09/2022
- Duration: 36 months
- Visit the project’s website

Project news
Project news
Future on the Menu: The Alternative Protein Revolution
As the global population is expected to reach 9 to 10 billion by 2050, there is an urgent need for sustainable, nutritious, and healthy food optionsâ especially protein. At the same time, our current food [...]
Using Storytelling to Communicate Complex Scientific Results
In today's fast-paced world, scientific discoveries shape much of our lives, but these advancements are often complex, full of weird terms, and difficult for non-experts to grasp. This is where the power of storytelling comes [...]
Farming for a Sustainable Future: Low-Input vs. Organic Farming
In the face of climate change, soil degradation, and growing food security concerns, sustainable farming practices have become more crucial than ever. Consumers growing awareness demands for cleaner and healthier food, while farmers are [...]
Communicating for Funding: The Strategic Role of Communication in EU Projects
Effective communication in EU-funded projects is not just about spreading awarenessâit plays a vital role in linking research and innovation to European policies and future funding opportunities. With increasing competition for EU funding, projects [...]
Innovarum Joins PEATLESS: A Promising Start for a Greener Growing Future
Peat has long been a cornerstone of horticulture, widely used for its ability to retain moisture and nutrients. However, its environmental cost is substantial. Peat extraction depletes fragile ecosystems, contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, and [...]
MainstreamBIO: finishing big with three onsite events!
The MainstreamBIO project will come to an end in August 2025, after three years of hard but rewarding work. In this period, Innovarum has organized several events, accounting to the intrinsic practical and rural [...]