Gulf of Mexico seafood kicked off the conference program schedule for the 2014 Seafood Expo North America, better known as the Boston Seafood Show. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
by Ed Lallo/Gulf Seafood News Editor
Gulf of Mexico seafood kicked off the conference program schedule for the 2014 Seafood Expo North America, better known as the Boston Seafood Show.
“The Gulf Seafood Marketing coalition was developed by and for the seafood industry of all five Gulf States,” explained Joanne Zaritsky Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The programs led with a panel discussion on market confidence in the demand for Gulf seafood and the efforts to bridge the information gap between end-buyers and consumers by a number of Gulf seafood groups.
Panelist for the program included, Joanne McNeely Zaritsky of the Gulf and South Atlantic Fisheries Foundation, Julianna Mullen of the Audubon Nature Institute’s G.U.L.F. program and the new executive director of the Louisiana Seafood Promotion and Marketing Board, Karen Profita.
Alex Miller, staff economist for the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC), an organization has provided funding and support to many of the programs moderated the discussion on the convergence of sustainability and sales.
Gulf Fisheries Recovering
Gulf seafood vendors were hurt by the 2010 oil spill. Fishing closures and consumers’ fears that Gulf seafood was tainted, led Congress, supported by a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to award fund to the GSMFC for a program called Gulf Seafood Trace.
Gulf Coast seafood sales contribute $4.4 billion to the U.S. economy. Panelist presented plans to expand programs designed to build confidence in the marketplace that have been initiated within the past two years. They highlighted partnerships with retailers, suppliers, grocers, restaurant owners and industry personnel, as well as the Audubon’s new G.U.L.F traceability.
The panel highlighted the innovative initiatives of the Gulf seafood industry including the electronic traceability program Gulf Seafood Trace and a new sustainability site, Gulf FINFO, which is aimed at demonstrating sustainability through education.
Participation in Gulf Seafood Trace across the five Gulf States is voluntary. The program uses an electronic platform to augment trip-ticket data with additional stats on products and vessels. Using the platform, businesses can share supply-chain facts that are almost real time with their customers.
Money for the three-year-old program is scheduled to dry up the end of current calendar year.
“The panel highlighted the innovative initiatives of the Gulf seafood industry including the electronic traceability program Gulf Seafood Trace and a new sustainability website, Gulf FINFO, which is aimed at demonstrating sustainability through education,” said Miller.
One-Stop-Shop for Innovation
According to him, with the new FINFO website “seafood buyers and other interested parties will have access to a one-stop-shop for the information they need to be confident that seafood harvested from Gulf state fisheries is sustainable.”
Gulf of Mexico seafood kicked off the conference program schedule for the 2014 Seafood Expo North America, better known as the Boston Seafood Show. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
“The purpose of the new G.U.L.F. program is not to punish Gulf fisheries,” explained Mullen on how the new G.U.L.F program differentiates itself from existing NGO’s such as Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch and Fish Wise. “We are not creating a rating system, but instead taking the approached that the fisheries are managed well, but there may be room for improvement. The new program will concentrate on continuously advancing these Gulf fisheries to a more sustainable state for years to come.”
According to Gulf Seafood Institute board member Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Seafood, who listened to the presentation, “This is a good start to ensure customers that all Gulf seafood, if properly managed, can be sustainable for future generations to enjoy.”
Currently third party certification will be available only for Louisiana fisheries, while other marine fishery programs by Audubon will extend throughout the Gulf.
“These days people tend to expect a certain kind of story out of the Gulf, so hearing about a sustainable seafood project that’s already engaged within the Gulf Coast might be a, ‘wait, really?’ moment– but in the best way possible,” said Mullen about the new program. “ I’m hoping we can continue to get more regional involvement, but also have national eyes on the ways we’re working in our community, the positivity, and how we’re staying not just relevant in the landscape of seafood sustainability, but accelerating into better things and times.”
Demand for Gulf seafood has been driven by market confidence in the product. Since the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, the seafood communities of the five Gulf States have struggled to with issues of perception and supply. In addition Gulf Seafood struggled with an identity crisis, where state programs seem to duplicate efforts of Gulf-wide programs.
“The Gulf Seafood Marketing coalition was developed by and for the seafood industry of all five Gulf States,” explained Zaritsky. “It is important to wok together as a Gulf entity for national efforts, and have those efforts complimented by the various state programs. We started from behind the eight-ball in our marketing efforts compared to Alaska, Maine or the Northeast, but we have made major inroads in a short period.”
Marketing in a time of shortages and high prices has been challenging.
According to Gulf Seafood Institute board member Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Seafood, who listened to the presentation, “This is a good start to ensure customers that all Gulf seafood, if properly managed, can be sustainable for future generations to enjoy.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Since the Coalition’s inception in 2011,the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition has developed initiatives, including counter cards, species chart, recipes to menu labeling for restaurants. Also an array of materials aimed at assisting retail and restaurant partners in conducting programs and In addition it produced six seafood documentaries it has placed on YouTube.
“The Gulf Trace Register program provided the Gulf Seafood Marketing Coalition with the knowledge the seafood in retail and restaurant promotions, did in fact come from the Gulf of Mexico,” she explained. “With the challenges of mislabeled product, it was our top priority to make sure the product is the quality we expect from our Gulf Coast branded seafood.”
Culinary tourism across the Gulf is on a rise according to Profita, in a recent survey of 1250 Louisiana tourists traveling to Louisiana, more than 70 percent made travel decisions on the availability of Gulf seafood.
According to Miller, “The enhanced information from these programs has helped develop an innovative Gulf Seafood brand that represents the region and translates the uniqueness of the Gulf into tangible resources. Initiatives that elevate Gulf seafood while advancing the market.”
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