Hook & Hunting: Mackinaw City fishery joins Great Lakes Fish Pledge

MACKINAW CITY — Big Stone Bay Fishery has signed on to the “100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge,” committing to use 100% of each commercially-caught Great Lakes fish by 2025.

Only the fillets of fish are commonly used. The remaining 60% of the fish is often put to inexpensive use or discarded. Utilizing that 60% for products like cosmetics, medical bandages, nutritional supplements and other products can bring the value of a fish like cod from $12 to $5,000.

Big Stone Bay Fishery joins five other Michigan-based fisheries – Treaty Fish Co., Carlson’s Fishery, First Catch LLC, Motor City Seafood and VanLandschoot & Sons Fish Market – making 26 companies total which have signed the pledge.

“We at Big Stone Bay are proud to join the 100% Great Lakes Fish Pledge. Our ongoing efforts to minimize waste and maximize the use of each fish align well with this new initiative,” said Big Stone Bay Fishery owner Cameron McMurry. “We look forward to exploring innovative opportunities to create value from every part of the fish.”

The 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative was created by the Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP), an organization representing the leaders of Great Lakes states, Ontario and Quebec.

More information on the initiative and pledge can be found on their website.