Plymouth Fish Finger made from bycatch to be served in schools

A new fish finger made from bycatch, which would normally go to waste, has been created for Plymouth school meals.

The University of Plymouth said the project was part of the national FoodSEqual programme and had been co-led by Sole of Discretion CIC, Plymouth Fishing & Seafood Association and CATERed, which provides the majority of the city’s school meals.

It said the the food item, known as the Plymouth Fish Finger, was made following a workshop to encourage people to eat more fish.

Species whiting, pouting and dogfish have been used to create the fish finger, and small scale coastal fishers are paid for the goods which are normally low in value and underutilised.

Active food system justice researcher, Dr Clare Pettinger, held workshops with the Whitleigh community, where it was identified better access to fish would encourage people to eat more of it.

Dr Pettinger worked with multiple organisations and identified the use of bycatch species.

According to the World Wide Fund for Nature, (WWF), bycatch is the incidental capture of non-target species.

The university said pupils at Sir John Hunt Community College held a series of taste sessions for the fish and breadcrumbs to design and make the new product.

It said 36,000 fish fingers needed to be produced to fulfil the city’s school meals, which it said needed investment.

Dr Pettinger said: “Our amazing local partners have a shared vision for the Plymouth Fish Finger because it belongs to the community, promotes Plymouth seafood brand and provides true pride and identity in the product.

“We don’t just have to accept that things won’t change when it comes to accessing healthy food at a reasonable cost – together we can achieve so much.”