The new conference, organised by Mercator Media Ltd, is being pioneered by the Icelandic government, companies already involved in processing the whole fish and Matís - an independent, government owned research company pursuing research and development for the food and biotechnology industries. The conference will address the issues and techniques of how to utilise the entire fish and maximise returns.

The future of fishing, relies on innovation, development and this conference will provide a unique opportunity to learn from companies already involved in this process.

Limited resources of certain species of fish mean that companies are looking to achieve zero waste. This will not only benefit the environment but also provide an increase in sales revenue.

We are already familiar with by products such as fish oil supplements and as the world becomes more familiar with the deritives of fish, demand will naturally increase.

An area of discussion will include topics such as the methods for extracting the parts of the fish that would normally be disposed of, and which areas of fish utilisation are likely to be profitable in the future. An example of this is biodiesel produced from fish oil fuel made from the internal organs, heads and skin which in the past would have been classed as waste.

The conference is ideally suited for all those involved in the catching and processing of fish. A provisional programme will be posted online during the first week of August.