Ontario Fish Companies Sign “100% Great Lakes Fish” Pledge

    (Organizations from around the region pledge to prevent waste and promote the sustainable use of Great Lakes fish)

Tilbury –A&A Marine Foods, All Temp Foods, Great Lakes Food, John O’s Foods, Presteve Foods, and Taylor Fish Company signed on to the “100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge” today, publicly committing to using 100% of each commercially caught Great Lakes fish productively by 2025. As part of the pledge, these companies will explore and implement innovative applications for fish byproducts including protein, marine collagen, fertilizer, leather, and other new, high-value products.

The Great Lakes are home to a sizeable commercial fishery, but only the fillets of these fish are usually eaten while the remaining 60% of the fish is relegated to inexpensive animal feed or discarded.

This 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.

“I applaud the commitment to this initiative by companies from around the region” David Naftzger, GSGP Executive Director said. “Their leadership will benefit our commercial fishery, our economy, our environment and our people.  GSGP looks forward to working collaboratively with them toward the goal of productively using 100% of each commercially caught fish from the Great Lakes.”

The project and pledge is the first of its kind in the region. It builds on the successful experience with the cod in Iceland and with other species elsewhere globally. Iceland pioneered the “100% fish” strategy and the utilization rate of the Icelandic cod’s biomass has increased from 40%, when utilization was almost exclusively filets to eat, to more than 90%, including high-value byproducts such as skin and collagen that are processed into a variety of food and non-food products, raising the value of each fish.

“Together we are reducing waste, driving innovation, and securing a sustainable future for our region and its fishery,” Sal Peralta, President & CEO, A&A Marine Foods said.  “A&A Marine Foods is proud to be a leader in this new initiative.”

“This Pledge is a statement of our principles and dedication to preserving our region’s natural resources,” John Omstead, President & CEO of John O’s Foods Inc., said. “We are committed to a bright, sustainable and economically vibrant future for the Great Lakes fishery.”

“At Presteve, we take pride in our long-standing connection to the Great Lakes and the vitality of the fishery,” said Dan Walda, Co-President & CFO of Presteve Foods. “Joining the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge is a natural step forward for us and reflects our deep commitment to sustainability and the responsible use of our precious resources.”

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

• A&A Marine Foods
• All Temp Foods
• Bodin Fisheries
• Baileys Harbor Fish Co.
• Fiskur Leather
• Fortune Fish & Gourmet
• Great Lakes Food Co.
• Henriksen Fisheries
• J&M Fisheries
• John O’s Foods
• Motor City Seafood
• Presteve Foods
• Red Cliff Fish Co.
• Taylor Fish Co.
• VanLandschoot & Sons Fish Market

Companies that are also interested in joining the pledge should contact John Schmidt with the GSGP staff at jschmidt@gsgp.org  More information on 100% Great Lakes Fish including a copy of the Pledge is available at www.gsgp.org

Contacts:

A&A Marine Foods: Sal Peralta

All Temp Foods: Elizabeth Ingratta

John O’s Foods: John Omstead

Presteve Foods: Dan Walda

Great Lakes Food Co.: John Neate

Taylor Fish Co.: Yvonne Evers

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The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers unites the chief executives from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Québec and Wisconsin. The Governors and Premiers work as equal partners to grow the region’s $6 trillion economy and protect the world’s largest system of surface fresh water.

*See pledge details here:
100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge