Family-owned fish farm Skytop Springs Fish Farm has signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, publicly committing to using 100% of each fish it raises by the end of 2025. Skytop is the 37th company, and third from New York, to sign the pledge.
Based in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, Skytop Springs raises Kamloops Rainbow Trout for retail and wholesale purchase. Its fish are hatched from certified, disease-free eggs using only the highest-quality feed and raised in fresh, clean, cold mountain spring water.
“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% Fish Pledge,” said Michael Sellitti, Co-Owner of Skytop Springs Fish Farm. “We are always exploring how to have the smallest possible impact on the environment, so utilizing 100% of a fish just makes sense.”
In less than two years, the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative has recruited six aquaculture companies and commercial fish companies representing nearly 90% of all commercially caught fish from the Great Lakes – from seven states and two Canadian Provinces.
As part of the pledge, the company, already well-known for its responsible fishing production, will help communicate to other companies in the fish supply chain about opportunities for innovative applications for fish byproducts, including compost, fertiliser, protein, marine collagen, leather, or other new, high-value products.
The 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative was created by the Conference of Great Lakes St Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), an organisation representing the Governors of the Great Lakes States and the Canadian Premiers of Ontario and Québec.
“We are delighted to have Skytop Springs Fish Farm join the 100% Fish Pledge as they are a wonderful example of a company dedicated to responsible practices,“ GSGP Executive Director David Naftzger said. “In less than two years, we have attracted six aquaculture companies to the Pledge and dozens of commercial fish companies. We are eager to foster this collaboration and help activate innovative applications for fish by-products.”
GSGP highlights that the Great Lakes region is home to growing aquaculture operations and sizeable commercial fisheries, but only about 40% of each fish (the fillets) are usually eaten. In contrast, the remaining 60% of the fish is often relegated to inexpensive uses or discarded.
Its 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative seeks new and innovative ways to fully use each 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.
