Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers

Submit your ideas to the 100% Wisconsin Fish contest

On: September 16, 2025

In: 100% Great Lakes Fish, Eat Wisconsin Fish, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, John Schmidt, Sharon Moen

Fish are often enjoyed as fillets, but could they also become a beverage, a belt, or a spot of sparkly makeup?

Graphic for 100% Wisconsin Fish contest that displays a whitefish and encourages folks to "Think beyond the fillet"

Eat Wisconsin Fish and the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) are fishing for your ideas on how to creatively use all parts of commercially caught Great Lakes fish. Now through October 24, 2025, you can submit your ideas to the 100% Wisconsin Fish contest for a chance to win a Great Lakes prize pack.

“We’re looking for bold, innovative ideas that go beyond the traditional uses of fish,” said Sharon Moen, Wisconsin Sea Grant’s food-fish outreach coordinator who is helping run the contest. “Typically, only 40% of the fish is used, and that’s the fillet. Finding ways to use the remaining 60% will help us reduce waste and create new economic opportunities in Wisconsin.”

The contest is part of GSGP’s 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative, which seeks to find commercial uses for all parts of harvested fish across the entire Great Lakes region. The initiative is modeled after Iceland’s successful effort to find more uses for harvested cod. According to GSGP, Iceland has now developed commercial uses for 90% of the cod, and its value has risen from $12 to $4,000.

“We see huge potential for Wisconsin and the region to unlock new industries, create jobs, and ensure that the full value of these fish supports our region’s communities,” said John Schmidt, GSGP program manager. “We applaud Wisconsin Sea Grant’s creative approach to gathering new ideas with the Eat Wisconsin Fish contest. We are eager to see what comes of this!”

The contest is open to all Wisconsin residents, but participants under the age of 18 will require parental/guardian consent. Contestants will need to write a short description of their product and explain its benefit to the Great Lakes and Wisconsin’s coastal communities. A team of judges will then convene in late October to evaluate ideas on usefulness, feasibility, creativity, and regional importance.

“We’re really looking forward to seeing how people think beyond the fillet,” said Moen.

Submit your ideas to the contest.

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The University of Wisconsin Aquatic Sciences Center administers Wisconsin Sea Grant, the Wisconsin Water Resources Institute, and Water@UW. The center supports multidisciplinary research, education, and outreach for the protection and sustainable use of Wisconsin’s water resources. Wisconsin Sea Grant is one of 34 Sea Grant programs supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in coastal and Great Lakes states that encourage the wise stewardship of marine resources through research, education, outreach, and technology transfer.

The post Submit your ideas to the 100% Wisconsin Fish contest first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/submit-your-ideas-to-the-100-wisconsin-fish-contest/

Jenna Mertz

Head to Tail Fish Showcase invites producers and consumers to think beyond the fillet

On: October 14, 2024

In: 100% Great Lakes Fish, aquaculture, Christy Remucal, commercial fisheries, Great Lakes, Great Lakes commercial fishing, Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers, Sharon Moen

GSGP Executive Director David Naftzger hands a participant an Icelandic energy drink made with fish collagen. Photo: Front Room Studios

On Oct.1, the Head to Tail Fish Showcase celebrated Great Lakes fish products — with not a fillet in sight.

The event aimed at elevating awareness of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors & Premiers (GSGP) 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative, a project that seeks to find commercial uses for all parts of harvested Great Lakes fish. Typically, the fillet, which represents only 40% of the fish, is consumed while the remaining 60% is discarded or used in animal feed and fertilizers.

That fish waste, however, can be turned into pharmaceuticals and other high-value products like fish leather and collagen supplements.

“Our goal is to drive more value through the fishery, create more jobs, create rural economy development and really improve the sustainability of our fishery,” said David Naftzger, executive director of GSGP.

Businesses who join the initiative pledge to use 100% of harvested fish by the end of 2025. So far, 30 Great Lakes commercial fishing and aquaculture operations have signed on, 11 of which are from Wisconsin.

Fish leather was a featured product at the event. Photo: Front Room Studios

“Wisconsin companies have been a real leader and helped to send a message to the rest of the region and to the rest of the fish value chain that there’s raw material available. We want to see it used productively and we want to create some partnerships that can make that happen,” said Naftzger.

The private event was held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee School of Freshwater Sciences for an audience of media and business, academic and government partners. Representatives from UW-Milwaukee, the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, Department of Natural Resources and Wisconsin Coastal Management Program offered remarks in support of the program.

Wisconsin Sea Grant helped organize the event. Interim director Christy Remucal said that the initiative aligns well with the program’s focus on sustainable fisheries and aquaculture and commitment to fostering academic, industry and government collaboration.

“I think the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative really encapsulates the mission of our work for sustainable resources,” said Remucal. “We’re really proud to be part of this partnership.”

During the event, participants could try a variety of non-filet fish dishes prepared by Third Coast Provisions in Milwaukee, including whitefish roe sliders, pickled herring kimbap, whitefish liver pate, buffalo walleye cheeks and whitefish chili. Restaurant co-owner Cameron Whyte said the team enjoyed finding creative ways to use different parts of the fish.

A participant picks up a small plate of pickled herring kimbap. Photo: Front Room Studios

“They sent us some really cool products to try, and it was really kind of a fun opportunity for us to flex our culinary muscles and do something a little different,” said Whyte.

The event also featured non-food items, such as locally produced fish leather, fertilizer and dog treats. Several products from Iceland, such as a fish collagen-infused energy drinks and supplements were also on display.

Naftzger explained that the 100% Great Lakes Fish initiative is modeled after Iceland’s efforts to use all parts of harvested cod. According to GSGP, over 90% is now used, and the value of products made from cod has risen from $12 to $4,000. What was once waste is now an ingredient in beverages, cosmetics and medicinal bandages.

For Door County commercial fisherman Charlie Henriksen, who attended the event, the increase in value of Lake Michigan whitefish doesn’t need to be dramatic for impacts to be felt.

“If six dollars of that trickles back to us, or even if the value of that fish doubles to us, it’s a game changer,” said Henriksen. “It makes our businesses viable, and it gives us a lot of hope.”

The post Head to Tail Fish Showcase invites producers and consumers to think beyond the fillet first appeared on Wisconsin Sea Grant.

Original Article

News Releases | Wisconsin Sea Grant

https://www.seagrant.wisc.edu/news/head-to-tail-fish-showcase-invites-producers-and-consumers-to-think-beyond-the-fillet/

Jenna Mertz