SUNY Morrisville Signs the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, Becoming the Sixth College to Join

Morrisville, New York — SUNY Morrisville has signed the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge, becoming the sixth institution of higher education to join the initiative. The college's participation brings the total number of participating organizations and businesses in this cross-border movement — which aims to ensure that every part of every fish is fully utilized and not wasted — to 52.

Morrisville offers hands-on education in aquaculture and aquatic science through its Aquaculture Center, which features a coldwater fish hatchery, an aquaponics greenhouse and specialized teaching facilities. Students work with species including Brook Trout (Salvelinus fontinalis), Burbot (Lota lota) and Paddlefish (Polyodon spathula), gaining practical experience in fish production, aquatic resource management and sustainable aquaculture. With its signing of the pledge, the concept of whole-fish utilization will be introduced into the college's teaching and research environment.

Morrisville's joining follows the pledge's recent expansion of its scope to universities, laboratories and research institutions working with fish and fish materials in the Great Lakes states, the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. These institutions commit to productively using the fish and fish parts handled in their work, where practical and legally permitted, rather than sending them to landfill.

Under the pledge, Morrisville will work with other participating organizations and businesses to advance whole-fish utilization, including raising awareness of innovative fish by-product opportunities 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, launched by the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers (GSGP). The organization represents the governors of the Great Lakes states and the premiers of Ontario and Quebec.

David Naftzger, Executive Director of GSGP, said: "SUNY Morrisville is a strong addition to the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Colleges and universities that combine aquaculture, research and hands-on education can play an important role in advancing full utilization. They can both demonstrate practical approaches and train the next generation of aquaculture and fisheries professionals to think differently about the value of every part of a fish."

The Great Lakes region has a growing aquaculture business and substantial commercial and recreational fisheries, yet typically only about 40% of each fish — the fillet — is eaten or effectively used, with the remaining 60% often relegated to low-value uses or discarded. The 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative seeks to fully utilize every fish in new and innovative ways to reduce waste, create more value and jobs, and support rural economic development. Iceland pioneered this approach, raising the value of products made from each cod (Gadus morhua) from $12 for fillets alone to $5,000 including cosmetics, medical bandages, nutritional supplements and a range of other products.

Dr. Elisa Livengood, Associate Professor of Aquaculture and Aquatic Science at Morrisville, said: "The mission of the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge aligns closely with the goals of our program and facilities. We believe in the importance of finding productive uses for fish resources and are pleased to support this effort through our sustainability committee. Participating in the pledge is a natural fit with the work we are already doing and the ideas we want to promote to our students."