Wisconsin Freshwater Research Institution Joins Initiative to Fully Use Each Fish

(Bayfield, Wisconsin) – The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, becoming the third research institution to join the initiative. Their participation brings the growing binational movement to 48 companies and organizations committed to ensuring that every part of each fish is fully used and not wasted.

The UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility conducts applied aquaculture research and outreach in Bayfield. Fish and fillets from completed research projects are donated when possible, while eligible carcasses are composted for fertilizer. Through the Pledge, the facility will continue pursuing full utilization wherever permitted.

The institution’s participation follows the recent expansion of the Pledge to include 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 all fish and fish parts handled through their work wherever permitted, rather than sending them to landfill.

As part of the Pledge, UWSP will work alongside other participating companies and organizations to promote the full use of fish. This includes raising awareness of opportunities for innovative applications of 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.

“The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility brings exceptional expertise in freshwater science, aquaculture, and fish nutrition to the Pledge,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “Research institutions are essential to developing the technologies, products, and partnerships needed to fully use every fish. We are pleased to welcome UWSP and look forward to learning from their work.”

The Great Lakes region is home to growing aquaculture operations and sizeable commercial fisheries, but only about 40% of each fish (the fillets) 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.

“At the UWSP Northern Aquaculture Demonstration Facility, we already work to make productive use of fish from our research by donating fish and fillets and composting eligible carcasses for fertilizer,” said Tyler Firkus, UWSP NADF Assistant Director. “The Pledge gives us an opportunity to formalize that commitment, share what we are learning, and work with others to advance full utilization across aquaculture and research.”

More information on 100% Great Lakes Fish, including a copy of the Pledge, is available here.

To read the full press release, click here.