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Fish processing - meaning and illustration

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2024-01-20 00:00:00

1. Synonyms, etymology, translation, definition, examples and notes

1.1. IPA transcription and prononciation for fish processing: 🔊

Fish processing /fɪʃ ˈprəʊsesɪŋ/

1.2. Etymology of Fish processing:

From an ngram word frequency chart, it could be seen that, the term fish processing originated in the twentieth century, precisely before 1940 (confer the chart above). The term gained more popularity as years went by, right up to around the 1980’s, where the term ‘fish processing’ started declining in frequency, probably due to it being replaced with new synonyms like ‘seafood processing’. How ever, we consider seafood processing to be a broader concept than fish processing, meaning not just the processing of fish but goes farther to include all seafoods in general (crabs, etc.).

1.3. 🇫🇷 French translation of fish processing:

Transformation du poisson
Transformation des produits de la pêche
Transformation de poissons
Transformation de poisson
Traitement du poisson
Transformation des poissons
Traitement de poissons
Traitement de poisson
Traitement des poissons

1.4. Definition of fish processing in fisheries:

Fish processing: processes associated with live or dead fish or fish products between the time fish are caught or harvested, and the time the final product is delivered to the customer. These involve fish preparation (fish is cleaned, part cleaned, scaled or cut up), fish decoration (fish marking, tagging, etc.), fish preservation (chilling, icing, freezing, irradiating, smoking, salting, cooking, etc.), and fish packaging (fish canning, bottling, or wrapping).

Other Definitions of Fish processing per Country

In Australia:

process fish means cut up, break up, shell, skin, shuck, purge, cook, pack, chill, freeze, can, preserve or otherwise treat or process fish.

✏️ Source -- New South Wales Fisheries Management Act 1994, Part 1, Section 4 ( New South Wales Fisheries Management Act 1994 )

processing, abalone, includes doing any of the following to the abalone—

(a)shelling;
(b)filleting;
(c)cooking;
(d)preserving;
(e)packing.

✏️ Source -- Queensland Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019, Chapter 5, Part 5, Section 116 ( Queensland Fisheries (General) Regulation 2019 )

In Ghana:

"fish processing" includes a process that adds value to or preserves the fish and the dismembering, cleaning, sorting, lining, freezing, canning, salting and any other process of preserving fish;

✏️ Source -- Ghana Fisheries Act, 2002, Part VI, Section 140 ( Ghana Fisheries Act, 2002 )

In Kenya:

“fish processing” means any process that adds value to or preserves fish and includes the cutting up, dismembering, cleaning, sorting, icing, freezing, drying, chilling, salting, gutting, smoking, canning or any other action taken to alter the shape, appearance or form of fish from that in which the fish is when first taken from its natural habitat;

✏️ Source -- Kenya Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2016, Part I, Section 2 ( Kenya Fisheries Management and Development Act, 2016 )

In Seychelles:

“process” in relation to fish, includes cutting up, dismembering, separating parts of, cleaning, sorting, packing, loining, freezing, salting, canning or preserving fish;

✏️ Source -- SEYCHELLES FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ACT, 2025, Part 1, Section 2, Sub-section 1 ( SEYCHELLES FISHERIES AND AQUACULTURE ACT, 2025 )

In United Kingdom:

“processing”, in relation to fish or any other aquatic organism, includes preserving or preparing the organism, or producing any substance or article from it, by any method for human or animal consumption;

✏️ Source -- UK Fisheries Act 2020, Section 52 ( UK Fisheries Act 2020 )

2. Notes on fish processing

Although the term refers specifically to fish, in practice it is extended to cover any aquatic organisms harvested for commercial purposes, whether caught in wild fisheries or harvested from aquaculture or fish farming.

Types of fish or seafood processing

Depending on the processes used, processing can be grouped under the several categories. These include:

Fish preparation: this includes processes that seek to make the fish neater and easier to work with – usually prior to further processing. Cleaning, scaling, trimming, gutting, and filleting of fish are all methods of fish preparation. For example, fish can be filleted prior to canning.
Fish transformation: includes the production of any substance or article from fish, leading to derived and/or by-products. All mechanical or chemical operations that change the physical structure or chemical content of fish. During the production of fish meal and fish oil, the fish are transformed into a different physical and chemical structure.
Fish decoration: any process of artificially adding items or paintings to the flesh or fins of a fish to alter its colour or ease identification. Some of these decorative processes include fish marking, tagging, pin clipping, etc.
Fish preservation: fish being very perishable, often require processes to slow down the decay process and reduce further infection. This stage often involves processes like chilling, icing, freezing, irradiating, smoking, salting, cooking, etc.
Fish packaging: this is a fish processing method whereby the fish is enclosed from external contact. E.g. fish canning, bottling, or wrapping.