Who produces Mi Fresh Fish?
Michigan’s fish producers are a small but mighty community. They’ve been fishing, farming, processing, and selling seafood for years — sometimes generations. These hard-working folks are committed to providing you and your community with fresh, local fish. So who produces Mi Fresh Fish?
Aquaculture farmers
Aquaculture producers are farmers who grow fish or other aquatic life. Also known as fish farming or fish culture, people have relied on aquaculture around the world for thousands of years. In Michigan, fish farmers raise crops like trout, perch, tilapia, and many more.
Aquaculture-raised fish are a healthy addition to your dinner menu! But fish farmers raise their crops for plenty of other purposes, too. Aquaculture-raised fish are perfect for:
- Filling your bait bucket
- Stocking your backyard pond
- Helping restore native fish populations
- Fee-fishing with your loved ones
- Adding vibrant colors to your aquarium tank
Aquaculture-raised fish are a healthy addition to your dinner menu! But fish farmers raise their crops for plenty of other purposes, too. Aquaculture-raised fish are perfect for:
- Filling your bait bucket
- Stocking your backyard pond
- Helping restore native fish populations
- Fee-fishing with your loved ones
- Adding vibrant colors to your aquarium tank
Commercial fishers
Commercial fishing provides consumers with fresh, local, healthy, and sustainable fish from the Great Lakes. This industry helps feed people in Michigan and beyond who want to access this high-quality protein without catching it themselves.
Keep dollars in your community by supporting your local commercial fish producers at your farmers market, grocery store, or fish market. Not sure if your favorite fish shop sells local products? Ask and find out!
Evidence of fishing along the Great Lakes dates back at least 6,000 years, when people from the Old Copper Culture lived along the western Great Lakes. Commercial fishing — harvesting fish to sell — is known as one of Michigan’s first industries. Today, commercial fishing in the Great Lakes is managed through a collaboration of federal, state, and Tribal agencies. This careful management ensures that everything harvested is safe and sustainable – for consumers and for the lakes themselves.
Explore Michigan’s fish heritage and culture
The Great Lakes have a rich history and culture of hard-working fishing families, companies, and communities. The Great Lakes Fisheries Heritage Trail is a network of sites around the region that celebrate the ways people have interacted with these amazing fisheries throughout history.
Marketing materials for producers
The Mi Fresh Fish campaign continues to encourage consumers to choose local sources of fish for food, bait, stocking, ornamental uses, and more. Designs and marketing assets that are ready for fish producers to continue sharing about Mi Fresh Fish.