Dedicated to minimizing its eco-footprint, Westward Westward Seafoods works to stay ahead of the curve in an industry where waste and pollution are subject to increasingly tight regulation by the US Environmental Protection Agency. For the company, these efforts are a win-win solution.

One area where the company is focusing its attention is a factory by-product known as 'stick water'. This is a liquid mix of water and suspended fish oil and residue that is left over from seafood processing at the company's Westward Seafoods' plant in Dutch Harbor, Alaska.

The company approached Alfa Laval for advice on how to clean its stick water – the idea being to protect the environment while generating additional revenue. By separating the fish oil from the stick water; you clean the water and get valuable fish oil to use for other purposes. The oil can then be used for omega3 supplements as well as an alternative to diesel.

FACTS - Sustaining the yield – Alaska's model

Alaska's commitment to sustainable fishing dates back to 1959, when the Alaska Constitution decreed that "fish... be utilized, developed and maintained on the sustained yield principle".

Ever since, the state's fisheries – which produce about 50 percent of US seafood production – have been an international beacon for precautionary resource management through a combination of tough regulation, close monitoring and strict enforcement.

A battery of measures ensures that stocks remain healthy and self-sustaining. Strict limits on total catch and bycatch – the unintended capture of non-target species – are a key tool.

Some fisheries also limit the size of fishing boats, and virtually all limit the type of equipment that can be used and zones in which fishing can take place.