Florida
Fisherman in the Gulf of Mexico, be they commercial, charter-for-hire or recreational, all agree on one fact: the growing need for more timely and accurate data for fishery management and science. Recognizing the need for more timely data collection, the NOAA has developed an implementation plan to expand the use of both electronic monitoring and electronic reporting.
The Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council recently met in Orange Beach, AL, home to miles and miles of sugar-white sand beaches, as well the largest charter-for-hire recreational fishing fleet in the U.S. equipped with electronic data collection.
The Gulf Seafood Institute has added Sysco Corporation to its list of founding members, providing additional support to the organization’s goals of harvesting and distributing the highest-quality and most-sustainable seafood catch from the Gulf of Mexico for the benefit of all consumers.
Even before members of the Gulf Seafood Institute took their first steps toward Capitol Hill, they realized this year’s “Walk on the Hill” would be extremely important for the survival of commercial fishing in the Gulf of Mexico.
The National Oceanic Atmospheric Administration has opened the door for expansion of aquaculture in the federal waters in the Gulf of Mexico.
Cedar Key may not be one of Florida’s more famous Keys; the Beach Boys or Jimmy Buffet ever sang its praise. Cedar Key, however, is famous among Gulf seafood lovers for its hard shell clams harvested in record numbers and shipped to restaurants around the country.
As the pages of the calendar turn to a new year, members of the Gulf Seafood Institute will dust off overcoats and galoshes for their annual “Walk on the Hill” during January’s Washington Mardi Gras week. The purpose of the annual pilgrimage is to educate legislators on the state of Gulf fishing and seafood.
The Gulf Seafood Institute’s Executive Director Margaret Henderson was quoted by Baltimore Sun reporter John Fritze in a comprehensive article on H-2B legislation recently passed in the 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Bill.
Merry Christmas from the Gulf Seafood Institute and Gulf Seafood News!
Congress has passed and President Obama has signed into law a year-end spending and tax deal that includes important relief for seasonal seafood, tourism and restaurant employers around the Gulf and across the country. For more than a year, the Gulf Seafood Institute has joined with dozens of small business stakeholders to fight for the fixes included in H-2B legislation which will go into effect immediately.
The Fiscal Year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations Act heading to the White House for a Presidential signature includes $10 million for Gulf of Mexico fisheries data collection, stock assessments and research due to the tireless efforts led by Alabama’s Senator Richard Shelby and Florida’s Representative David Jolly.
Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker has appointed Gulf Seafood Institute’s President Harlon Pearce, along with three other new advisors, to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Marine Fisheries Advisory Committee.
The Gulf charter-for-hire fleet is making yet another leap towards greater accountability as nearly 200 charter-for-hire boats become equipped with electronic data collection systems that will allow for accurate and real time data on red snapper and other critically important recreational species.
Recently introduced legislation by Congressman David Jolly of Florida will hopefully lead to a more accurate count of red snapper and other reef fish in the Gulf of Mexico.
Festive occasions. Loved ones gathered together. Familiar holiday tunes. And a delectable aroma coming from the kitchen. Must be Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season. And if a mouthwatering oyster dressing rounds out that holiday meal, well shucks, that’s some good holiday eatin’!
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