Rushing Waters Fisheries Joins 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge

Rushing Waters Fisheries, widely regarded as the state of Wisconsin's premier aquafarm, has signed on to the “100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” publicly committing to productively use 100% of each fish it raises by 2025. Situated in the Southern Kettle Moraine State Forest, the company has led the way in sustainable aquafarming practices.

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.

Twenty-nine companies across North America have signed the pledge. It 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.

“Rushing Waters Fisheries is well known for its devotion to raising premium trout using ecologically responsible aquaculture practices, so to have them be the first aquafarm to join the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge is a tremendous honor. We look forward to learning from them and seeing where their involvement takes us with the initiative,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP.

The Great Lakes are home to sizable commercial fisheries, but only the fillets of these fish are usually eaten. 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 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 made from cod byproducts.

“We have been committed to sustainable practices before it was ever popular, so joining the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge is just an extension of what we do every day,” said Peter Fritsch, President of Rushing Waters Fisheries. “We have explored various ways to use all of the fish, so we look forward to contributing to this initiative and furthering our efforts to reduce waste while generating new products and ideas.”

Companies participating in the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge include:

Read the pledge here.