A Characterization of Tuna
Packing Waste
MICHAEL J. CHUN, Graduate Student
REGINALD H. F. YOUNG,   Assistant Professor
NATHAN C. BURBANK, JR., Professor
Department of Environmental Health and Sanitary Engineering
School of Public Health
University of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
INTRODUCTION
Tuna production in the United States increased from 16, 900, 500 standard
cases in 1965 to 19, 525,460 standard cases in 1966, an increase of two and one-
half million cases during a single season (1). This increase in production is due to
increased tuna-packing operations in the island areas of Hawaii, Puerto Rico, and
America Samoa. In fact, these areas have increased their production approximately eight and one-half times in 10 years, from 842, 712 standard cases in
1955 to 7,307, 078 standard cases in 1965 (1).
The skipjack tuna is the most abundant fish in Hawaiian waters, and its
abundance is sufficient for expansion of the local fishery. However, the tuna industry in Hawaii has been beset by a number of problems; some of these being the
scarcity of live bait and the need for better fishing methods. Despite these difficulties, the canning operations in Hawaii are not sporadic because Japanese fisheries supply the local cannery with enough fish for continuous operation between
May and September.
The American tuna industry, in recent years, has been moving into the islands of the South Pacific to establish fish-processing centers close to the Pacific
tuna fisheries. This fact, as well as increased Federal concern over water pollution, has necessitated an evaluation of the effects which the wastes from these
canneries may have on the waters surrounding the islands.
Cannery wastes from thelocal tuna-canning operation flow into the municipal
sewer system and mix with sewage from the southern sector of the city of Honolulu.
This mixed sewage is then pumped to an industrial area located on the outskirts of
the city where it is discharged, untreated, by ocean outfall. There is no treatment of any type of this waste prior to disposal. The water quality standards proposed by the State of Hawaii will require that a treatment facility be constructed
for all of the city's wastes.
Tuna cannery waste characteristics and the corresponding waste flows have
not been reported in the literature. However, accounts of the canning process are
numerous, and treatment methods which have been used for fish-processing wastes
are available. These treatment methods may be applicable to tuna cannery waste
treatment.
The nature of tuna waste is dependent on whether or not a reduction plant for
by-products recovery is employed. These by-products are fish oil, fish meal,
and fish solubles. The inclusion of such reduction plants requires economic justification.   It may also be dependent on plant capacity.
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