Superior Fresh Joins 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge

Superior Fresh, the third largest salmon producer in the United States and the largest in the Great Lakes States, is the 30th company to sign the “100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” publicly committing to use 100% of each fish it raises by 2025. The rapidly growing company in western Wisconsin has long been recognized as a leader 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.

Thirty 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.

“Superior Fresh is a leader in the aquafarming industry, and they’ve essentially been living the Fish Pledge. It is an honor to have them join in an official capacity,” 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 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.

“Our mission is to feed the world with healthy, reliable, and high value food products that are produced using sound practices in a safe environment. This includes finding a use for every part of the fish that we grow and implementing a range of regenerative farming practices that give back to the land and protect our water resources,” said Steven Summerfelt, Chief Science Officer, Superior Fresh LLC.

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

Read the pledge here.