SUNY Morrisville Joins Initiative to Fully Use Each Fish

(Morrisville, New York) – SUNY Morrisville has signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, becoming the sixth higher education institution to join the initiative. Its participation brings the growing binational movement to 52 organizations and companies committed to ensuring that every part of each fish is fully used and not wasted.

SUNY Morrisville offers hands-on education in aquaculture and aquatic sciences through its Aquaculture Center, which includes a cold-water fish hatchery, aquaponics greenhouse, and specialized educational facilities. Students work with species including Brook Trout, Burbot, and Paddlefish, gaining practical experience in fish production, aquatic resource management, and sustainable aquaculture. The university's participation in the Pledge will help bring the principles of full fish utilization into this educational and research environment.

SUNY Morrisville’s participation follows the recent expansion of the Pledge to include universities, laboratories, and research facilities in the Great Lakes States, Ontario, and Québec that work with fish and fish materials. These organizations commit to productively using fish and fish parts handled through their work wherever practical and permitted, rather than sending them to landfill.

As part of the Pledge, SUNY Morrisville will work alongside other participating organizations and companies to promote the full use of fish. This includes raising awareness of opportunities for innovative fish co-products, such as compost, fertilizer, protein, marine collagen, leather, and other new, high-value products.

The Pledge is part of the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative created by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), an organization representing the Governors of the Great Lakes States and the Canadian Premiers of Ontario and Québec.

“SUNY Morrisville is a strong addition to the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “Colleges and universities that combine aquaculture, research, and hands-on education have an important role to play in advancing full utilization. They can help demonstrate practical approaches while preparing the next generation of aquaculture and fisheries professionals to think differently about the value of every part of the fish.”

The Great Lakes region is home to growing aquaculture operations and sizeable commercial and sport fisheries, but only about 40% of each fish, the filets, are usually eaten or productively used. In contrast, the remaining 60% of the fish is often relegated to inexpensive uses or discarded. The 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative seeks new and innovative ways to fully use each fish to reduce waste, create more value and jobs, and support rural economic development. Iceland pioneered this approach and has seen the value of products made from each cod skyrocket from $12 for just the filet to a remarkable $5,000 for products including cosmetics, medical bandages, nutritional supplements, and a range of other products.

“The mission of the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge aligns well with the goals of our program and facilities,” said Dr. Elisa Livengood, Associate Professor of Aquaculture and Aquatic Sciences at SUNY Morrisville. “We believe in the importance of finding productive uses for fish resources and are excited to support this effort through our Sustainability Committee. Participating in the Pledge is a natural fit with the work we are already doing and the principles we want to promote with our students.”

 

More information on 100% Great Lakes Fish, including a copy of the Pledge, is available at https://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/