Aprovechamiento de escama de pescado para la producción de colágeno como estrategia de disminución de impacto ambiental en el sector piscícola a pequeña escala

Abstract

Fishing is one of the economic activities that takes place in Colombia along the Pacific and Atlantic coasts, but this practice has spread to various regions of the country, increasing freshwater aquaculture production. This sector generates a quantity of waste that corresponds to 50% of the weight of the fish, most of which are not usable. Residues from the aquaculture benefit cause contamination problems in soils and water sources due to their inappropriate disposal and could also generate health problems by creating favorable conditions for vectors. One of the ways to reduce the impact of waste from the fish farming industry is the incorporation of the circular economy with the use of waste. This work focuses on the analysis of the transformation of fish scales into collagen, a solution that would generate an extra source of income for small artisanal fish farmers or fresh fish marketers. The analysis of Weaknesses, Opportunities, Strengths, and Threats-SWOT allowed the comparison of different studies and methods for obtaining collagen from fish scales, with a view to identifying which could be optimal to apply in small and medium-scale businesses. After the application of the SWOT matrix, it was concluded that the mechanical method is the most practical and simple way to obtain collagen from flakes, being an opportunity for the green growth of this activity in Colombia.