Using fish waste as a fertilizer is a tradition that goes back centuries for some Native American tribes, including those who lived in the Great Lakes.
“It’s my understanding it’s been a tribal tradition,” says William Derouin, who is agriculture manager for the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians. “I’ve spoken to quite a few elders here that garden and manage land and they believe the process goes way back … way back in time.”
The practice may have ebbed and flowed over the years, but the Grand Traverse Band has gained international recognition in the wake of recent efforts to transform
fish waste from local fishing operations into a high-quality fertilizer -- Gigook & Gitigaan (“Fish & Garden”) Fish Waste Fertilizer.
Their environmental efforts will be demonstrated at the Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians Farm in
Peshawbestown at 4 p.m. Thursday, May 1. The Conference of Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers is partnering with the Northwestern Michigan tribe to highlight the fish initiative.
The promotional event, which will also include a tree planting on the Leelanau County farm, will be attended by other fisheries, landscapers, horticulturalists and others interested in learning about fish waste recycling, Derouin says.
“The interest has been incredible,” Derouin says, noting attention has come from fishery managers in the Thumb, Saginaw Bay and outside Michigan. “They’re struggling to manage fish waste, and they want to see how we turn our waste into products.”
One of the highlights of the tree planting will be the tribe’s own compost to enhance the trees. The trees being planted are part of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Trees Initiative – a regional effort to plant 250 million trees by 2033.
The Great Lakes St. Lawrence Governors and Premiers leads the “100% Great Lakes Fish Initiative,” a project that demonstrates “how 100 percent of each fish caught from our waters, processed in our region, or produced by aquaculture can be used for different purposes beyond just food,” according to the organization. About a dozen companies around the Great Lakes region have entered into a pact to cut waste from processing harvested fish.
The project’s initial focus is on whitefish but will be followed by other Great Lakes fish such as yellow perch, walleye, lake trout and white sucker. The strategy "holds tremendous promise for the Great Lakes St. Lawrence region to more completely utilize caught fish, drive greater economic returns, create jobs and help develop rural economies,” according to the organization’s website.
The GSGP is an organization that brings together the eight U.S. governors and two Canadian premiers from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Pennsylvania, Québec, and Wisconsin. Their focus is on regional economic growth and the protection of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence River Basin.
The Grand Traverse Band’s fish waste fertilizer initiative is one example of how governments, companies, and organizations are thinking outside of the box to create new products that divert fish waste from landfills and create economic opportunities.
The GTB is using fish waste in two ways – for composting and fertilizer. Fish waste is being used to build organic matter in soils, and also being processed into a liquid fish emulsion, which can be used as a fertilizer.
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Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa IndiansFish waste has been recycled as compost and fertilizer.The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians is actively involved in fish management and conservation efforts in their traditional lands, particularly in Northern Michigan. They are leading regional initiatives to restore fish passage, manage fishing rights, and monitor water quality. They are also working to bring lake sturgeon back to their historical river systems.
Derouin says the fish project is a multi-layer effort for the GTB that incorporates environmental concerns, such as reducing waste, sustainable land management and landfill diversion. It also contributes to food sovereignty, improving food security for the community and supporting agricultural practices. The fertilizer is used to cultivate vegetables and corn growing on the tribe’s farm.
“We’ve been using all of the products from compost and fish waste in house,” Derouin says. “We manage less than five acres of vegetables, and we’re getting into some hay and straw.”
The GTB effort began as a small pilot project in 2012 but struggled because of issues with pests and odors. Then, in 2022, the tribe received nearly a half million-dollar grant from the Michigan Environment, Great Lakes, and Energy to recycle fish waste.
The first year the tribe recycled 2,000 to 3,000 pounds of fish waste each week as compost or liquid fertilizer, May through October. Now, the numbers are up to 3,000 pounds to 5,000 pounds a week, Derouin says. Two main sources of fish are from the tribe’s fisheries and Carlson’s Fishery in Leland.
“It’s really taken off,” Derouin says, adding it’s a bit tricker to determine how much fish is caught but estimates half the volume comes from tribal fishing. Most of the fish are whitefish and lake trout. About 10 percent is salmon, harvested from Carlson’s charter fishing operations.
About those previous issues – smell and critters. They were able to resolve them, covering the compost and managing odors with carbon inputs, using wood chips and saw dust.
This year the GTB Gearing up for distribution of our new compost and liquid fertilizer product has begun selling its compost and fertilizer and has been getting some interest.
“We are getting some interest,” he says. “We are working to refine the product. We’ve found a few markets with interest."