Leading Canadian Fish & Aquaculture Research Institute Joins Initiative to Fully Use Each Fish

(Gaspé, Québec)—Merinov, one of Canada’s leading fish and aquaculture research centers, has signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, becoming both the first research facility or laboratory and the first organization from Québec to join the initiative. Merinov is the 46th company or organization participating in the growing binational movement to ensure that every part of each fish is fully used and not wasted.

Merinov provides research, development, and innovation services to the fisheries, aquaculture, and seafood processing sectors. With multidisciplinary expertise and world-class infrastructure, Merinov supports businesses and organizations in the design, testing, and deployment of high-performance, sustainable technological solutions tailored to the industrial and regional realities of the blue economy.

Merinov’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, rather than sending them to landfill.

As part of the Pledge, Merinov 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. 

“Merinov is known globally as a leader in the marine bioresource technology space, so having them become both the first research facility and the first organization from Québec to join the Pledge is a significant step forward for the initiative,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “Research institutions will play an essential role in developing the technologies, products, and partnerships needed to fully use every fish. We are honored to partner with Merinov and learn from its expertise.”

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.

“Finding the best possible uses for marine products and their co-products is central to Merinov’s mission,” said Laurent Girault, Project Manager and Head of Merinov’s Centre of Expertise in Marine Biotechnologies. “Joining the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge is a natural extension of that commitment. We look forward to sharing our expertise, collaborating with other participants, and helping advance innovative approaches that create value from every part of the fish.”

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

To read the full press release, click here.