The local tuna aquaculture industry currently generates thousands of tonnes of fish offals, consisting of the head, spine, tail, and organs. Although this material has huge recycling potential, fish farm operators presently dispose of it at sea.
To recover this material, Aquaculture Resources Ltd. are developing a state-of-the-art tuna rendering facility in Ħal-Far. The plant will recycle tuna offals using a series of specialised cutting, cooking and drying equipment, producing about 4,000 tonnes of commercially-viable fish meal and fish oil annually. The operators will then export these fish by-products for use as raw materials in the manufacture of feed for poultry, pigs and other farmed animals. The facility’s operations would therefore help to reduce the amount of fish farm waste. In so doing, the facility will help the Maltese aquaculture industry in its transition towards a circular economy.
The operators have commissioned AIS Environment to prepare the IPPC application for the operations of this tuna rendering facility. IPPC permits are issued by the Environment & Resources Authority (ERA) to regulate high-risk installations as specified in the Industrial Emissions (Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control) Regulations.
On behalf of the operators, AIS Environment prepared the facility’s IPPC permit application, which was open for public consultation through the ERA website till 3rd July 2022.
