By: 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge
Erie-based institution becomes fourth research organization to sign the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge.
Penn State Behrend has signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, becoming the fourth research institution to join the initiative. Its participation brings the growing binational movement to 49 companies and organizations committed to ensuring that every part of each fish is fully used and not wasted.
Penn State Behrend, formally Penn State Erie, The Behrend College, has longstanding connections to Lake Erie science and fisheries. Pennsylvania Sea Grant is based at Penn State Behrend, and Behrend faculty and students conduct research involving Lake Erie fish and aquatic ecosystems. Current and recent work has included research involving Walleye, Yellow Perch, Steelhead Trout, invasive species, and fish with potential applications in Great Lakes aquaculture.
The institution’s participation follows the recent expansion of the Pledge to include laboratories and research facilities in the Great Lakes States, Ontario, and Québec that work with fish and fish materials. These organizations commit to productively using all fish and fish parts handled through their work wherever permitted, rather than sending them to landfill.
As part of the Pledge, Penn State Behrend will work alongside other participating companies and organizations to promote the full use of fish. This includes raising awareness of opportunities for innovative applications of fish co-products, such as compost, fertilizer, protein, marine collagen, leather, and other new, high-value products.
The 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.
“Penn State Behrend brings a strong connection to Lake Erie, extensive scientific expertise, and a commitment to applied research that make it a natural addition to the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” said David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP. “Research institutions have an important role to play in developing new uses for fish materials and demonstrating how those materials can be managed more productively. We are pleased to welcome Behrend to this growing network.”
David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP.
The Great Lakes region is home to growing aquaculture operations and sizeable commercial and sport fisheries, but only about 40% of each fish (the filets) are usually eaten or productively used. 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 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 USD 12 for just the filet to a remarkable USD 5,000 for products including cosmetics, medical bandages, nutritional supplements, and a range of other products.
“Penn State Behrend’s location near Lake Erie gives our faculty and students a close connection to the fisheries and freshwater resources of the Great Lakes,” said Cora MacBeth, Director of the School of Science at Penn State Behrend. “Joining the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge gives us an opportunity to build on that work, think more intentionally about the materials generated through research, and collaborate with other institutions and partners pursuing practical ways to reduce waste and make better use of fish resources.”
More information on 100% Great Lakes Fish, including a copy of the Pledge, is available at htps://gsgp.org/projects/100-great-lakes-fish/.
About GSGP
GSGP 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 trillion (US) economy and protect the world’s largest surface freshwater system. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro serves as GSGP’s Chair.
