Salmon processing waste can create disposal issues unless a fish meal plant is located nearby. Other preservation methods, such as fermentation with lactic acid bacteria (LAB), are less energy intensive, but require an added carbohydrate. In this study, pink salmon heads (raw, smoked or cooked) were mixed with potatoes at different ratios and incubated with LAB. An initial pH drop was observed, with concurrent production of lactic acid, for all salmon–potato silages within 24 h; however, only silages composed of 100% potato or salmon with added sucrose became stable and remained at or below pH 4.8 for 60 days. Increasing the potato content of the potato–salmon silage increased the initial acidification, but did not prevent a rise in pH during storage. This study suggests that discarded agricultural products such as potatoes might be useful as a carbohydrate supplement for LAB preservation of fish by‐products. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Pink salmon by‐products, such as heads and viscera, create disposal issues for fish processors in Alaska. However, preserving these high‐protein wastes through natural acidification (using lactic acid bacteria) requires an added carbohydrate to promote fermentation during silage production. Agricultural waste products such as discarded potatoes represent a convenient source of fermentable carbohydrate. Once preserved, fish processing waste offers an inexpensive feed source for agricultural animals, or as aquaculture feeds or local compost for vegetable farming.

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