Michigan Business Beat | John Schmidt, GSGP | Fish Byproducts & Circular Economy

Originally uploaded September 22nd, reloaded October 4th. Jeffrey Mosher welcomes John Schmidt, Program Manager, GSGP, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers. John, the first report shows 24.3 million pounds of fish byproducts are now being put to productive use. What has changed to turn what was once considered waste into products with real economic value? The report estimates about $3.4 million in economic value from these byproducts. What kinds of businesses and markets are developing around products such as fish meal and oil, pet products, fertilizer, bait and fish leather? Organizations participating in the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge represent about 90% of commercial fishery volume. What have you learned from the commercial sector that could help expand this model into other parts of the Great Lakes fishery? Recreational fishing is still an earlier-stage opportunity. What needs to happen with fish cleaning stations, collection, transportation and processing to make better use of those byproducts? Looking ahead, what would success look like for the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative, and what role can businesses play in turning more of these fish byproducts into valuable products and new economic opportunities? 24.3 Million Pounds of Fish Byproducts Now Being Productively Used in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Region First annual 100% Great Lakes Fish performance report shows major progress toward full fish utilization (CHICAGO, IL) – The Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) today released its first performance report for the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative, tracking the initiative’s reach and impact. The report estimates that 24.3 million pounds of fish byproducts are now being productively used in the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region. The byproducts are generating about $3.4 million (US) in economic value and avoiding about 9.6 million pounds of carbon dioxide equivalent emissions. Fish byproducts include skin, scales, viscera, heads, tails, and other parts that historically were landfilled in many cases. Fish byproducts in our region are now being made into valuable products including fish meal and oil, pet food and treats, fertilizer, compost, bait, and fish leather. The report measures the collective impacts of the 48 organizations participating in GSGP’s 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Through the Pledge, these organizations commit to productively use all the fish byproducts they handle and to not landfill. Together, these organizations represent about 53% of estimated fish volume across the region’s commercial, aquaculture, and recreational fisheries. By sector, Pledge participants represent about 90% of commercial fishery volume, 55% of aquaculture production, and 1% of the recreational fish harvest. “This report demonstrates the major strides our region has taken toward full fish utilization,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “We can now track how many fish byproducts are being productively used, the economic and environmental benefits that they create, and where the biggest opportunities remain. GSGP plans to similarly report results every year and use them to measure progress toward our ultimate goal--100% utilization.” An infographic illustrating the 2026 performance results is available at https://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/annual-report/ More information on 100% Great Lakes Fish and the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge is available at https://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/ About the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers www.gsgp.org The Conference of 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 $9.3 trillion (US) economy and protect the world’s largest surface freshwater system.