General information about the sector

The sector of fish processing is widely spread and is characterized by big variability. Fish processing includes the processing of white or pelagic fish, fatty fish, shellfish and fresh water fish. There are also species of fish that are mass processed as cod, herring, tuna, mackerel, pollock, haddock ect (BREF document "Food, Drink and Milk Industries" (January 2017)).

A preliminary processing of fish aiming at the partial, or full, separation of the edible and the inedible parts of fish usually precedes the main fishing processing.

Industrial Activity (NACE Code C10.2)

Brine effluent in fish processing

Fish preservation methods include canning, salting/pickling, smoking and drying (BREF document "Food, Drink and Milk Industries" (January 2017)). Salting/pickling method result in generation of high salinity wastewater. The parameters of interest in brines from fish processing are presented in the following table.

Key parameters to consider for the brine wastewater from fish processing