By CIAA staff/December 9, 2025
Salmon are the heartbeat of the Alaskan economy and a central pillar of our way of life. For generations, we’ve measured our success by how many fish we catch and the quality of our product. But for decades, our industry has wrestled the problem of salmon waste.
When a salmon is processed for filets or canning, nearly 40% to 60% of the fish—heads, guts, skins, and bones—ends up on the cutting room floor, according to salmon production yield studies. We take the best parts of the fish and discard the rest, often grinding it into low-value meal or hauling it away.
But times are changing, and so is our perspective. We are moving toward a circular economy where we use 100% of each fish we harvest. What we used to call “waste” is actually a biological goldmine. From high-fashion leather on the runways of Paris to high-tech computer screens in Silicon Valley, Alaskan salmon are fueling innovations that sound like science fiction but are 100% real.
Here are 10 incredible ways salmon byproducts are being used today to change the world:
1. Bioplastics from milt
Plastic pollution is one of the most significant environmental threats to our oceans, so it is somewhat poetic that salmon might provide a solution. For years, salmon milt, a.k.a. sperm, was one of the most discarded byproducts of the fishing industry. However, scientists have discovered that milt is rich in DNA strands that can be chemically bound together to create a biodegradable, plastic-like material known as hydrogel.
Unlike petroleum-based plastics that take centuries to break down and release microplastics into the food web, this DNA-based material is fully biodegradable. Research indicates that these DNA plastics can be durable but also recyclable. If you submerge the material in water, it can dissolve and be reformed, a process that suggests we could one day have consumer packaging that vanishes when we are done with it.
The manufacturing process for this material produces significantly less carbon emissions—up to 97% less—compared to traditional plastics. This innovation proves that biological waste can replace toxic synthetic materials, closing the loop on two environmental problems at once.
2. LED screens
The next time you look at a smartphone or a high-definition television, you might be looking at a little bit of salmon. Organic Light-Emitting Diodes (OLEDs) are popular for high-end screens because they are bright, colorful, and energy-efficient. However, the synthetic materials used to control the electrons in these screens are often expensive and hard to manufacture.
Researchers found that refining salmon DNA creates a thin, microscopic film that is perfect for these screens. When processed into a surfactant-modified complex, the DNA helps align the electrons in the OLED display, making the lights brighter and significantly more efficient. Nature designed a better conductor than we could manufacture in a factory.
By using waste products from the fishing industry, tech companies can potentially lower the cost of electronics while making use of a resource that would otherwise be thrown away. It creates a fascinating bridge between the oldest industry in Alaska—fishing—and the newest technologies in the world.
3. DNA data storage
We are generating more digital data than we have room to store. Every photo, email, and video requires physical space on a server farm, which consumes massive amounts of electricity and generates heat. Hard drives eventually fail, and magnetic tape degrades. But nature has been storing complex data for millions of years in the form of DNA.
Scientists have successfully encoded digital data—like images, text, and audio—onto strands of synthetic DNA derived from salmon. Because DNA is incredibly dense, a tiny amount could theoretically store all the data in the world in a space the size of a shoebox. It is robust, compact, and doesn’t require electricity to maintain. This “write-once-read-many-times” (WORM) memory device uses silver nanoparticles embedded in salmon DNA to create a stable storage medium.
This technology implies a future where Alaskan salmon can help archive human history.
Fish skins help humans heal and regrow their own tissue
4. Healing burns
One of the most heartwarming medical advancements in recent years is the use of fish skin to treat severe burns. For decades, doctors used pig skin or human cadaver skin to treat burn victims, but these options have limitations, including cost and the risk of disease transfer.
Sterilized salmon skin is rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and collagen, which reduces inflammation and promotes faster healing. When placed on a burn, the fish skin acts as a protective structure for the patient’s own cells to grow back. It reduces the need for frequent, painful bandage changes and significantly lowers pain levels for patients. Over time, the fish skin is absorbed by the body, leaving behind healed tissue. This process has been documented to be superior to many traditional dressings.
This treatment has successfully healed both humans and animals injured in wildfires, proving its versatility. It turns a waste product into a life-saving medical device, showcasing the incredible healing power inherent in our marine resources.
5. Salmon leather
If you visit a high-end boutique in Europe or New York, you might find wallets, belts, and handbags made from salmon skin. For years, skins were the most visible form of waste in processing plants, often ground up for cheap fertilizer. Now, they are being tanned into premium leather that rivals the best exotic skins on the market.
Salmon leather is surprisingly durable. Because the fibers in the skin cross-hatch (unlike the parallel fibers in cow leather), it has an incredibly high tensile strength for its thickness—up to nine times stronger than sheepskin or cowhide of the same thickness. It also has a beautiful, natural scale pattern that designers love.
Furthermore, the tanning process for fish skin is often more eco-friendly than traditional leather tanning. It uses non-toxic vegetable tannins instead of the harsh chrome chemicals used in the cattle industry. This creates a sustainable fashion product that looks good and respects the environment.
Salmon leather sold by Global Green Solutions Credit: CIAA
6. Salmon bacon
The belly flap of the salmon is the fattiest, richest part of the fish. In the past, this was often trimmed off to make the filet look neat and uniform for grocery stores. However, that high fat content is exactly what makes it so delicious.
Enter salmon bacon. By curing and smoking these belly strips, producers create a savory, crispy product that rivals pork bacon and comes with heart-healthy Omega-3s. It utilizes a part of the fish that was previously undervalued, turning a “scrap” into a premium grocery item. It appeals to the growing market of consumers who want to reduce their meat consumption without giving up that smoky, savory breakfast experience.
This product is hitting shelves across the country, proving that “waste” is often a lack of imagination.
Salmon bacon by Thammachart Seafood Retail
7. Salmon collars
Every fisherman knows the best meat on the fish is right behind the gills. The “collar” is a bone-in cut that is incredibly moist, rich, and flavorful. Historically, industrial processing machines would cut the head off in a way that left the collar attached to the waste pile, or it would be discarded because it was “too hard” for consumers to eat.
With better processing techniques and a rising interest in “nose-to-tail” eating, the industry is now saving these salmon collars. They are being marketed as a “chef’s cut” or a grilling delicacy. Because of the bone and high fat content, they are forgiving to cook and almost impossible to dry out. They are becoming a favorite for seafood lovers who know that the collar often holds more flavor than the filet, a sentiment echoed by Alaskan seafood suppliers.
Selling collars helps aquaculture associations get more weight—and more value—out of every single fish harvested.
8. Premium pet treats
Alaskans love their dogs, and it turns out our dogs love salmon too. In the past, leftover skins and trimmings were rendered into low-quality meal for generic animal feed. Today, they are being freeze-dried or dehydrated into single-ingredient premium pet treats.
These treats are hypoallergenic and fantastic for a pet’s coat and joints due to the natural oils. Because they are 100% fish with no grains, fillers, or additives, they command a high price in the booming premium pet food market. It transforms a “waste” product into a high-end health supplement for our four-legged friends.
This sector has exploded in recent years, allowing processors to use tons of skins that aren’t suitable for leather or human consumption. It ensures that even the parts of the fish we can’t use on our plates are still providing nutrition.
9. Aviation fuel
The aviation industry is under immense pressure to reduce its carbon footprint. One of the most promising solutions is Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). Believe it or not, the fats and oils from salmon waste can be refined into jet fuel that powers commercial aircraft.
Projects like the SALMO initiative in the UK have researched how to take the oils from fish processing and convert them into energy-dense liquid fuels. This fuel burns cleaner than fossil fuels and recycles carbon that is already in the biological cycle, rather than digging up ancient carbon from the ground.
Blending these renewable fuels with standard jet fuel is a major step toward greener air travel. It represents the ultimate upcycling: taking waste from the ocean and using it to fly through the sky.
10. Biogas energy
Finally, there is the ultimate closed loop: using fish waste to power a hatchery itself. Any organic waste that cannot be turned into leather, food, or plastic—such as sludge or mortalities—can be put into an anaerobic digester.
Inside these sealed tanks, bacteria break down the fish waste and release methane gas. This gas can be captured and burned to generate electricity or heat for the processing plant. It turns a disposal cost into an energy savings, creating a self-sustaining system. Facilities in Scotland are already using this technology to reduce their reliance on diesel generators.
This technology could allow remote Alaskan facilities to save money. It is the final piece of the puzzle, ensuring that even the most unusable parts of the fish serve a purpose in keeping our lights on.
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