Fish farm in central New York joins growing pledge to use 100 percent of each fish

Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo, NY
Erie Basin Marina in Buffalo, NY | Photo courtesy of eyerazor/Shutterstock
4 Min

Sidney, New York, U.S.A.-based sustainable fish farm Skytop Springs has joined the 100 percent Great Lakes Fish Pledge, marking its public commitment to use 100 percent of the fish it raises by the end of 2025.

The pledge is an initiative of the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), which represents governors of Great Lakes states and the premiers of Ontario and Québec. 

Skytop Springs, a family-owned business situated in the foothills of the Catskills, raises rainbow trout for retail and wholesale markets.

“We have always been committed to responsible farming practices with a focus on sustainability, so we are very excited to extend that commitment by joining the 100 percent Fish Pledge," Skytop Springs Co-owner Michael Sellitti said. "We are exploring how to have the smallest possible impact on the environment, so utilizing 100 percent of a fish just makes sense.” 

Skytop  Springs has also committed to working to educate other companies in the fish supply chain about opportunities to use fish byproducts. 

GSGP executive director David Naftzger said Skytop Springs joining the movement has continued its momentum. 

"In less than two years, we have attracted six aquaculture companies to the Pledge and dozens of commercial fish companies," Naftzger said. "We are eager to foster this collaboration and help activate innovative applications for fish byproducts.”

The new initiative is not just aiming to advance conservation goals, but profits. As the Great Lakes region’s aquaculture and commercial fisheries industry grows, the initiative is intended to boost jobs and support rural development by creating markets for the parts of fish that are currently being relegated to inexpensive uses or discarded. Currently, the farms and fisheries in the region are only using about 40 percent of the fish grown or caught, and the GSGP said commercial fish ending up in local landfills is a key concern and a big loss of value for companies.

“Iceland pioneered [the 100 percent fish] approach and has seen the value of products made from each cod skyrocket from USD 12.00 (EUR 11.56) for just the filet to a remarkable USD 5,000(EUR 4,817) for products including cosmetics, medical bandages, nutritional supplements, and a range of other products," GSGP said.

The 100 percent fish movement has been gaining momentum worldwide in recent months. It was first launched by the Icelandic Ocean Cluster (IOC), a business orgaization which aimed to make use of the raw materials that were produced by the seafood industry, including fish heads, skin, bones and cut offs. The financial success of the group’s 100 percent fish initiative, which is credited with the growth of the price of Atlantic cod, has caught the attention of a number of fisheries and helped spread similariar initiatives in the U.S., Canada, and the Pacific. 


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