Creating the First 100% Fisheries in the World

by David Naftzger, John Schmidt | May 1, 2026 | Aquatic Organisms

Two gentlemen sit at a long blue table in front of a row of windows. The men hold up a folder with two documents on display.

David Naftzger (Executive Director, GSGP) and Tim Schaeffer (Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission) sign the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, making Walnut Creek Marina the first sportfish cleaning station to sign on to the Pledge. All photos courtesy of the authors unless otherwise noted.

If you have ever cleaned a fish, you know how much is left after the filets are separated. Heads, frames, skin, bones, scales and guts can add up to more than half the fish. For generations, much of that material has been thrown away. The idea behind the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative is simple: what if we found better uses for it?

Led by the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources and other regional partners, 100% Fish is working to create more value from fish caught, raised and processed across our region. That includes fish from the Great Lakes, rivers, inland lakes, ponds, and aquaculture operations throughout Illinois, the other Great Lakes States, Ontario and Québec. The goal is straightforward: reduce waste, create jobs and make better use of a resource that already supports fishing communities across the region.

A group of people stand together posing for a photo in a restaurant with chartreuse green walls. The people stand behind a table with different fish products and a poster explaining the different products. — GSGP staff standing with Icelandic partners during the launch event for the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative at Chartreuse restaurant in Detroit, Michigan.

When OutdoorIllinois Journal last covered this work, 100% Fish was still a relatively new idea. It came in part from Iceland, where the Iceland Ocean Cluster helped pioneer the concept of “100% Fish” by finding productive uses for nearly every part of the cod. We believed a similar approach could work here, adapted to our own species, industries and markets.

Since then, we have transformed the Great Lakes commercial fisheries and effectively ended the practice of landfilling fish “waste.” Forty-five companies and organizations have signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge and committed to productively use 100% of the fish they handle. Even more significant, those signatories represent about 90 percent of the Great Lakes commercial catch.

A map of the Great Lakes with surrounding states, Canada and California. Yellow dots signify the locations of different organizations and companies that have signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge.

Full utilization of fish in our region could generate more than $3 million a year in direct revenue for processors, support dozens of jobs and help unlock more than $22 million a year in value-added finished goods sold to consumers. It could also annually avoid nearly 8 million pounds of carbon dioxide and 265,000 pounds of methane that results from the landfilling process.

A graphic showing three circles. The circle on the left shows products produced from fish in the past, the middle circle shows fish products created today, and the circle on the right shows products that will be created in the future from fish.

Uses can take many forms. Some are practical, such as compost, fertilizer and ingredients for animal feed. Others are higher value, including pet treats, fish leather, collagen, and protein hydrolysates for food and feed applications. There is no single product that will result, rather, a range of uses, together, make full utilization possible.

A graphic showing great lakes fish value of different 100% uses. — Value Pyramid showing relative value of different 100% uses.

100% fish is now working to similarly transform our region’s sport fisheries.

Across the Great Lakes and in river and lake communities throughout the region, anglers clean fish every day at marinas, boat launches and cleaning stations. A lot of usable material is left behind. The question is how to capture it and put it to work.

Stainless steel counters with cutting boards are installed under a pavilion for the general public to use as fish cleaning stations. In the background is a parking lot. — Walnut Creek Marina is the first sportfish cleaning station to sign on to the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. It has an onsite freezer where material is stored and all “waste” is currently being fully diverted from landfill.

In March, the first fish cleaning station signed onto the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. In coming months, we will expand this work with additional cleaning stations, including in Illinois, to productively use material that is often landfilled or put into a grinder and sent to wastewater treatment plants. These practices are costly, impact our environment and wasteful.

100% fish is similarly working to transform aquaculture in our region. Eight aquaculture companies have already signed on to the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Because aquaculture offers predictable production volumes and controlled handling, it is especially well suited to 100% fish strategies.

Two gentlemen wearing suits stand together and hold up a paper award certificate. In the background is a bright blue screen. — John Schmidt, Program Manager for 100% Fish, receiving the Blue Transformation Leaders Award from the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, at their headquarters in Rome, Italy. This award was for GSGP’s work on 100% Great Lakes Fish. Photo by ©FAO/Giulio Napolitano. Editorial use only. Copyright ©FAO.

Illinois has been a leader in this work. Three Illinois companies have signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge: Fortune Fish & Gourmet in Bensenville, and Chicago-based Archway and Farm to Pet. And, the Illinois Department of Natural Resources has been on the project team from the start.

The 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative now includes a broad regional network, extensive research and success in transforming our region’s commercial fisheries. Our long-term goal is to create the first 100% fisheries in the world, where every fish caught, raised or processed in the Great Lakes region is used as fully and productively as possible. It means less waste, more value, stronger fishing communities and a better way of honoring the resource.

A view of a marina on a lake where fishing boats are docked. In the middle foreground two people stand in a fishing boat. — “Fishtown” in Leeland, Michigan.

David Naftzger is Executive Director of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP). He coordinates the efforts of eight U.S. Governors and two Canadian Premiers to grow the regional economy and protect the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region’s significant freshwater resources. His work includes leadership on initiatives involving impact investment, maritime transportation, export promotion, tourism, and 100% Great Lakes Fish. Naftzger holds a master’s degree from the London School of Economics and a bachelor’s degree from DePauw University, and he also studied at the University of Freiburg in Germany. Click here to learn more about GSGP’s work and to stay updated.

John Schmidt is Program Manager for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers, where he leads the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative. His work focuses on creating new industries and opportunities from underused fish byproducts so that more of each fish caught, raised, or processed in the region is put to productive use. He also supports GSGP’s Regional Maritime Initiative and Cruise the Great Lakes tourism program. Schmidt holds degrees from William & Mary, the University of Chicago, and Loyola University Chicago.