NEWS RELEASE
BIG STONE BAY FISHERY
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MACKINAW CITY – Big Stone Bay Fishery has signed on to the “100 per cent Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” publicly committing to use 100 per cent of each commercially caught Great Lakes fish productively by 2025. As part of the pledge, the company will also help communicate to other companies in the fish supply chain about opportunities for innovative applications for fish byproducts including compost, fertilizer, protein, marine collagen, leather, or other new, high-value products.
Big Stone Bay Fishery joins Michigan-based Treaty Fish Co., Carlson’s Fishery, First Catch LLC, Motor City Seafood, and VanLandschoot & Sons Fish Market, which previously signed the pledge. This brings Michigan's participation to six companies, and 26 companies overall have now signed the pledge.
This pledge is part of the 100 per cent 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.
“We are excited to welcome Big Stone Bay Fishery to the 100 per cent Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Their commitment to sustainability and vision for innovative uses for fish byproducts sets an example for others in the industry,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “Their participation strengthens our collective efforts to protect and utilize the Great Lakes’ resources wisely.”
The Great Lakes are home to sizeable commercial fisheries, but only the fillets of these fish are usually eaten. In contrast, the remaining 60 per cent of the fish is often relegated to inexpensive uses or discarded. The 100 per cent Great Lakes Fish initiative seeks to find new and innovative ways to use the whole 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.
“We at Big Stone Bay are proud to join the 100 per cent Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Our ongoing efforts to minimize waste and maximize the use of each fish align well with this new initiative,” said Cameron McMurry, Owner of Big Stone Bay Fishery. “We look forward to exploring innovative opportunities to create value from every part of the fish.”
More information on 100 per cent Great Lakes Fish including a copy of the Pledge is available at https://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/
Companies participating in the 100 per cent Great Lakes Fish Pledge include:
- A&A Marine Foods
- All Temp Foods
- Big Stone Bay Fishery
- Bodin Fisheries
- Baileys Harbor Fish Co.
- Cambrian Co-Products
- Carlson’s Fishery
- Dan’s Fish, Inc.
- Dramm Corporation
- Euclid Fish Company
- First Catch LLC
- Fiskur Leather
- Fortune Fish & Gourmet
- Great Lakes Food Co.
- Halvorson Fisheries
- Henriksen Fisheries
- J&M Fisheries
- John O’s Foods
- Lindal Fisheries
- Motor City Seafood
- Presteve Foods
- Purvis Fisheries
- Red Cliff Fish Co.
- Taylor Fish Co.
- Treaty Fish Co.
- VanLandschoot & Sons Fish Market
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