The Pacific Islands Ocean Cluster

Fisheries are the greatest shared ocean resource in the Pacific Islands region, yet roughly half of commercially caught fish is undervalued or discarded. Reducing waste and ensuring more of each fish is used is critical to promoting healthy oceans and well-managed, sustainable fisheries.

Our mission is to inspire the seafood industry and seafood communities to

• utilize more of each fish, scale to tail
• increase the value of each fish landed
• support new business opportunities
• increase employment
• decrease waste

Our objective is to use 100% of each fish landed by increasing the range of products made out of all parts of the fish.

Nothing left for the bin

Iceland leads the world in creating innovative and profitable ways to add value to non-prime parts of the fish, otherwise known as byproducts. Since the 1990s, the country’s utilization of fishery byproducts has increased 30-fold, with the export value per cod kilogram rising by a factor of four and a significant growth in the array of different marine products. Icelandic cod producers are now utilizing around 80 percent of their raw material.

Iceland’s and other countries’ success in maximizing the value of underused or discarded fish waste can provide lessons for Pacific Island fisheries.

With the rising demand for fish, there is growing concern in the Pacific region about the sustainability of our fish stocks — in particular tuna. The health and productivity of these stocks are already compromised by the accelerating impacts of climate change and persistent illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing.

The underutilization of fish byproducts among commercial fishers is a wasted opportunity to retain and repurpose valuable fish protein, as well as generate additional revenue for domestic fishing industries without increasing catch. Our aim is to change that.

Fish is so much more than fillets

Starting in 2017, the government of Iceland, working with Conservation International, invited Pacific Island decision-makers and fisheries experts to Iceland to study how the country transformed its economy through reforming its fisheries. The massive development of new fish products, from food and clothing to cosmetics and pharmaceuticals, encouraged visiting delegations from the Pacific to do the same there.

The Pacific Islands Ocean Cluster has accepted the "scale to tail" challenge. Our mission is to increase the value of all parts of the fish. Our ambition is that all ventures that rely on Pacific fisheries are ethical and sustainable.

About us

Conservation International has supported The Pacific Islands Ocean Cluster (PIOC) through its initial development. PIOC is now ready to lead the region’s efforts in fisheries innovation and maximizing the benefits of this precious resource.

PIOC is a virtual cluster and will create hubs around the region as projects and demand grow.