A provision that would have funded 100% Fish startups in the U.S. state of Oregon was cut from a bill before it was passed by the Oregon state legislature, but advocates are hopeful the funding will be approved in the next session.
“Unfortunately, as lawmakers worked to reduce spending late in the session, this funding was removed from the final legislation,” the Oregon Coast Visitors Association (OCVA) said in its summary of the short legislative session. “Although the outcome was disappointing, we remain committed to advancing this work with partners across the seafood and research sectors."
House Bill 4086 directed Oregon Business to partner on four industrial symbiosis pilots – projects that help use the waste generated by one industry as a resource for another business. Initially, the bill included USD 640,000 (EUR 554,663) for OCVA and the Oregon Ocean Cluster to launch a 100% Fish pilot.
The proposal was inspired by Iceland Ocean Cluster’s 100% Fish model, which finds ways to transform seafood byproducts that would otherwise be discarded as waste and repurposes them as resources for other products. OCVA pointed to pet food, fertilizer, and nutritional supplements as possible destinations for seafood byproducts. According to OCVA, a 100% Fish pilot could help reduce waste, strengthen local supply chains, create new manufacturing, and position the state competitively for future government innovation funding.
“Fully utilizing Oregon’s seafood resources represents a powerful opportunity to strengthen coastal resilience and create new economic pathways,” OCVA said.
Though House Bill 4086 ultimately passed, the 100% Fish funding was stripped from the final language.
Newport, Oregon, U.S.A.-based Local Ocean Seafoods, which operates its own 100% Fish program that transforms byproducts into dog treat products, as well as a forthcoming salmon broth product, said it was disappointed that the funding didn’t pass but said it remained fully committed to its efforts.
OCVA said that leaders on the Ways and Means Committee told them to bring back the proposal in the next session, and the group said it plans to work with lawmakers to build momentum for a 100% Fish project.
