Once focused narrowly on lake whitefish, the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative has evolved into a region-wide effort to rethink how fish are harvested, processed and valued

When the 100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative first began, its focus was deliberately narrow. Lake whitefish – commercially important, widely distributed, and ecologically comparable to Atlantic cod – was chosen as a test case. The logic was straightforward: Iceland had already demonstrated what full fish utilisation could look like for cod. Why not explore whether the same principles could apply in North America’s largest freshwater system?