Objective To study the current application development of fish scale collagen. Methods The structural properties and extraction methods of fish scale and fish scale collagen as well as the applications of collagen in pharmaceutical, food and chemical industries were reviewed, the advantages and disadvantages of different extraction methods were analyzed, and future development of fish scale collagen was proposed. Results Although the development of the aquaculture industry in China is quick, it lags behind the average world level of aquatic utilization, and there are rich resources of fish scale, which has a high economic value. Therefore, we should take advantage of the fish scale resources, reduce waste of resources and avoid pollution of the environment. Conclusion Fish scale collagen is the current hot topic, and also the future direction for the development of collagen.