Saving Seafood

Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Urges Feds to Preserve Red Grouper Access for All Americans

July 8, 2021 — Last month, the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council changed the allocation between commercial and recreational red grouper from a 76:24 split to 59.3:40.7 split on a slightly reduced total allowable catch.

Yesterday, the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA), called the move “… deeply disturb[ing] …”.  If approved, the Council’s action will deprive the citizens of the United States access to 600,000 pounds of red grouper this year currently being caught by commercial fishermen, and enjoyed by anyone who does not have the ability or opportunity to fish recreationally,” the group said in a statement. GCSA represents seafood harvesters, distributors, and restaurants across Gulf Coast.

Read the full story at Seafood News

Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Calls on Federal Government to Preserve Red Grouper Access for All Americans

July 6, 2021 — The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

Members of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, representing seafood harvesters, distributors, and the restaurants serving their products, are deeply disturbed by the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council’s recent proposal to reallocate 20 percent of the commercial red grouper quota to the recreational sector.

If approved, the Council’s action will deprive the citizens of the United States access to 600,000 pounds of red grouper this year currently being caught by commercial fishermen, and enjoyed by anyone who does not have the ability or opportunity to fish recreationally. It will also deprive restaurants of revenue from those landings, and will block both local residents and tourists from accessing our Gulf seafood resources.

This decision demonstrates the success of an ongoing effort by the well-funded recreational fishing lobby to take a disproportionate share of the quota for their personal enjoyment, and for the profit of companies supplying fishing gear and recreational vessels.

Of America’s approximately 330 million citizens, only 38 million are holders of recreational fishing licenses, tags, permits and stamps, according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. The 11 percent of Americans who enjoy fishing recreationally, who can afford the gear, boats and charters needed to participate in this sport, certainly have the right to access this resource, but they should not have the right to monopolize the resource.

The other 89 percent of Americans nationwide who do not hold fishing licenses, tags, permits or stamps also have the right to access domestic seafood resources, which they currently do through the labor of our commercial fishermen and distributors, who supply wild-caught seafood to their markets and favorite restaurants.

Commercial fishing is just as important to the Gulf tourist economy as recreational fishing, even though the benefits are often overlooked. If commercial fishermen can’t catch enough local species like grouper, the impacts will ripple through the critically important restaurant industry. Less grouper to catch means less grouper for restaurants, and that will inevitably lead to higher prices at the table.

Red grouper is one of the best selling local seafood items at Gulf restaurants. Without ready access to it at prices customers feel comfortable paying, some restaurants may have to consider supplementing their wild-caught products with farm-raised fish from overseas. Fresh, local seafood is one of the reasons people come from across the country to the Gulf; a restaurant industry without it would be far less appealing.

Appointees to the Fisheries Council selected by former Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross from the slates of nominees submitted by regional governors tipped the composition of the Council in the direction of recreational fishing interests who derive their pleasure from our fisheries over those who derive their livelihoods from our fisheries.

As the former Governor of Rhode Island, our current Secretary of Commerce, Gina Raimondo, unquestionably understands the need to balance the rights of recreational fishing participants with the rights of citizen consumers. Like our Gulf Coast, the Rhode Island economy has for centuries supported fishing interests – both commercial and recreational – as well as a robust tourist trade that sustains restaurants, markets and hotels filled with guests who enjoy local seafood. We must continue developing methods to share our nation’s coastal resources and not exclude one sector in favor of another.

About the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance
The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) unites fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants to advocate for the fair distribution of fish across the Gulf Coast. Americans who live in or visit the Gulf should have fish to catch at sea and fish to buy onshore. Our members drive a fishing economy that provides jobs, promotes tourism, and delivers fresh seafood across the Gulf Coast. View our membership here.

Florida restauranteur delivering fresh, flash-frozen fish across the US with Gulf to Table

January 19, 2021 — A restaurateur on Florida’s Gulf Coast has started a new endeavor designed to bring the region’s seafood delicacies to individuals and businesses across the country.

Charles Morgan launched Gulf to Table to deliver fresh, flash-frozen fish to markets, restaurants, and private homes. The fish are processed at Morgan’s Harbor Docks restaurant and market in Destin, and shipped overnight. Morgan counts markets in New York and Canada among his customers, along with a slew of independent restaurants.

Read the full story at Seafood Source

“Gulf to Table” Ships Fresh, High-Quality Gulf Seafood Directly to Consumers Across the U.S.

December 21, 2020 — The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

Gulf to Table is shipping the highest quality wild-caught Gulf seafood to families, restaurants and markets around the country through personalized shopping and overnight shipping. The ease of purchasing from Gulf to Table’s website makes it an ideal choice for consumers looking for fresh Gulf seafood this holiday season, no matter where they live.

Gulf to Table is the brainchild of Charles Morgan, whose seafood restaurants are known in Destin, Florida and throughout the Southeast for their impeccably fresh seafood and innovative menus. Mr. Morgan has developed a strong reputation of caring for his fishermen, staff, and the sustainability of Gulf fisheries, while delivering high-quality seafood across his restaurants. With Gulf to Table, he has expanded his successful business to offer this same care and high-quality seafood to customers across the country.

Gulf to Table ships fresh, flash frozen seafood – fast. The website is constantly updated and personalized, making shopping online easy. Staff is trained in all things fish. If a customer is struggling to choose the right type, quantity, or cut of seafood, the website offers a responsive chat experience to help them make the right choice for them. True to Mr. Morgan’s desire to foster a transparent seafood market, customers can even find out which boat and captain caught the fish that gets shipped out. There’s also a pick-up option for locals.

“Wild-caught seafood is the last truly wild protein available to the public,” Mr. Morgan said. “It’s our goal to help customers understand just what goes into getting honestly labeled and sustainably harvested fish from the waters of the Gulf to their dinner tables. And through our user-friendly website, fresh seafood is just a click away.”

Gulf to Table strives to offer as much of the Gulf’s bounty as possible, from whole fish and fillets, to local favorite cuts of cheeks and throats.

Through his Harbor Docks restaurant, Mr. Morgan is a member of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, which brings together fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants to advocate for the fair distribution of fish across the Gulf of Mexico

Florida Seafood Business Owners Break Down Reopening Process, Impacts of COVID-19

May 22, 2020 — The seafood sector in Florida is beginning to reopen businesses and the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) provided a look into how business owners are approaching the process.

Florida members of the Alliance, which represents restaurants, hotels, fishermen and seafood dealers tied to the fishing economy in the Gulf of Mexico, are placing a priority on limiting the spread of COVID-19 and supporting those impacted by the pandemic while following all of the state’s reopening guidelines.

Read the full story at Seafood News

FLORIDA: Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Members Get Back to Work With Focus on Safety and Service During the COVID-19 Pandemic

May 21, 2020 — The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

Florida members of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA), an alliance of restaurants, hotels, fishermen, and seafood dealers tied to the Gulf of Mexico’s fishing economy, are beginning to safely reopen their businesses, prioritizing preventing the spread of COVID-19 and supporting those affected by the pandemic. Members are adhering to Florida’s reopening guidelines, which require restaurants to restrict indoor seating to 50 percent capacity and to space all dining groups at least six feet apart.

GCSA member Dewey Destin, the owner of two seafood restaurants in Destin, Florida, and a third in Navarre, Florida, first reopened his restaurants on May 4, saying he is comfortable with reopening “as long as it is done in a safe manner.” Mr. Destin made clear that his top priority is the health and safety of his staff and customers. To that end, all of his restaurant staff are required to wear masks, wash their hands every half hour, and have their temperature taken every day. His staff are also sanitizing condiment containers and menus between each use, and marking the floor near bathrooms to keep people properly socially distanced in line.

Fishermen are still working, but prices are 30 to 40 percent lower than they were before the COVID-19 closures. To reopen his restaurants, Mr. Destin sourced grouper, snapper, oysters, blue crab and shrimp from local Gulf Coast dealers.

“This is obviously a very tough market for seafood producers,” Mr. Destin said. “We’re trying to do our part to help local fishermen continue the essential work of providing Americans with fresh, healthy seafood.”

Read the full release here

New Video from Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Showcases Fight Against Invasive Lionfish

June 5, 2019 — This week, the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation (NMSF) is convening Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, D.C. Additionally, President Trump has declared the month of June “National Ocean Month” in recognition of the importance of the ocean to the economy, national security, and environment of the United States.

For the duration of Ocean Week, Saving Seafood will share materials related to the sustainable and economically vital U.S. commercial fishing and seafood industries, including information tied directly to events being organized as part of the NMSF conference.

The following was released by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance:

A new video released today by the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA), ‘Eat ‘Em to Beat ‘Em’: Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance Fights Invasive Lionfish, shows how members of the alliance are doing their part to help eliminate the scourge of invasive lionfish from Southeast U.S. waters.

Lionfish were first detected off the coast of Florida in 1985 but only began spreading rapidly throughout the region in recent years. Fishermen today are seeing more and more lionfish on the reefs and fewer of the native species that the industry and region have historically relied on.

Florida officials launched a lionfish awareness initiative in 2014 to inform the public about the invasion and let people know that they can kill and eat the fish. Local chefs are discovering popular ways to serve lionfish in restaurants and there’s now a healthy market for them.

“People are inherently jazzed on the idea of being able to one, enjoy their meal, and two, be a positive impact on the environment,” says Parker Destin, owner of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group and a GCSA member, in the video. “At the end of the day, they can feel good about having eaten [lionfish].”

Classes for both school-age children and adults are teaching people about the invasion and proper methods for eradicating the fish. Tournaments are bringing together fishermen to eliminate as many lionfish as possible. Since the lionfish awareness campaign began in 2014, it has tracked the removal of over 500,000 fish—and the actual number is likely even higher.

Members of the GCSA are in Washington, D.C., this week for Capitol Hill Ocean Week and will be featured at the 44th Annual NOAA Fish Fry this evening. Mr. Destin of Dewey Destin’s Restaurant Group will be serving red snapper two ways: pecan encrusted and pan seared with lemon Beurre blanc. Greg Abrams of Greg Abrams Seafood will be serving tuna ceviche and fried oysters in a Kung Pao sauce.

About the GCSA

The Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance (GCSA) unites fishermen, seafood dealers, and restaurants to advocate for the fair distribution of fish across the Gulf Coast. Americans who live in or visit the Gulf should have fish to catch at sea and fish to buy on shore. Our members drive a fishing economy that provides jobs, promotes tourism, and delivers fresh seafood across the Gulf Coast.

New fishing rules continue to attract attention

January 2, 2019 — Revisions to federal fishing regulations that have received widespread praise from competing interests are drawing a more cautious reaction from one commercial fishing group.

Members of the National Coalition for Fishing Communities, which represents commercial fishermen in communities along all U.S. coasts, says it wants to ensure the Modern Fish Act does not diminish the nation’s main fishing law, which awaits reauthorization by Congress.

The group says the Magnuson-Stevens Act does need reforms but that its main protections against overfishing have worked well and need to be maintained.

“Any Magnuson-Stevens re-authorization should include two goals,” said David Krebs, president of Ariel Seafoods Inc. in Destin, Florida and a board member of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, said in a coalition news release. “The 10 national standards must be maintained, and provisions should be included to ensure balance between commercial and recreational interests on the eight fishery management councils.”

Read the full story at Houma Today

Modern Fish Act Falls Short: Full Magnuson-Stevens Reauthorization Still Needed

December 20, 2018 — The following was released by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities:

In June, members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities wrote to Congressional leadership in support of H.R. 200, the reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Act. That bill, championed by Congressman Don Young (R-Alaska), would have addressed the concerns of the commercial fishing industry by allowing more flexibility in management, eliminating arbitrary rebuilding timelines, and adding other reforms to better take into account the complex challenges facing commercial fishermen.

Unfortunately, the Senate failed to take up the House bill, and instead took up S.1520, the “Modernizing Recreational Fishing Management Act.” In its original form, S.1520 faced widespread opposition from both commercial fishing and environmental groups. After its most controversial components were either totally removed or substantially weakened, it moved forward in the Senate and passed the House yesterday.

S.1520 is an amendment to, but not a reauthorization of, the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Commercial fishing interests, recreational interests, and environmental groups all agree that the Magnuson-Stevens Act should, as the Environmental Defense Fund recently noted, “be recognized as one of the most successful conservation statutes ever enacted.” But no law is perfect, and there are still reforms that need to be addressed.

“We certainly hope the passage of this bill doesn’t reduce the incentive for the 116th Congress to work with the seafood industry on legislation to reauthorize the MSA in ways that will enhance the law and benefit fishing communities throughout the U.S.,” said Lori Steele, Executive Director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association in Portland, Oregon. “The need for such legislation remains.”

“The enormous amount of energy spent working to turn S.1520 from a widely opposed bill to a diminished version just so it could make it through the Senate would have been better spent on crafting a helpful Magnuson-Stevens Act reauthorization,” said Greg DiDomenico, Executive Director of the Garden State Seafood Association in New Jersey. “If the President signs this bill into law, the best outcome might be that the public may get a better sense of the significant catch and discard mortality associated with recreational fishing, but the bill does not get us the real reform that both industries need.”

“Any Magnuson-Stevens re-authorization should include two goals,” said David Krebs, president of Ariel Seafoods Inc. in Destin, Florida and a board member of the Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance. “The ten national standards must be maintained, and provisions should be included to ensure balance between commercial and recreational interests on the eight fishery management councils.”

Ms. Steele and Mr. DiDomenico both testified before the Senate this year in favor of needed improvements to the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Some of the crucial issues addressed in HR 200, and that were not addressed by the Senate include:

1) Eliminating the 10-year time requirement for rebuilding fisheries and replacing it with a biologically based time frame. This will allow the Regional Fishery Management Councils (RFMCs) to determine the optimal path and duration for stock rebuilding.

2) Modifying requirements for annual catch limits (ACLs) to allow RFMCs to consider ecosystem changes and the needs of fishing communities when establishing ACLs. In light of changing environmental conditions and the role of the environment in fisheries recruitment, these considerations make both scientific and common sense.

3) Using the term “depleted” instead of “overfished” throughout the Act is a simple yet very important change that will allow the Secretary of Commerce to more accurately characterize stock condition not based solely on fishing mortality. The term “overfished” is perceived negatively and can unfairly implicate the industry for stock conditions resulting from other factors.

4) Maintaining the requirement for a transparent referendum process before any new catch share program can be implemented in the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico regions to ensure the industry has a role in determining its future.

House Passes MSA Reauthorization with Support of NCFC Members

July 13, 2018 — The following was released by Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities:

Yesterday the House passed H.R. 200, the Strengthening Fishing Communities and Increasing Flexibility in Fisheries Management Act, which modifies and reauthorizes the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Members of Saving Seafood’s National Coalition for Fishing Communities from around the country have been invested in improving MSA for years, and weighed in with their comments and concerns at various points in this process.

Many of these concerns were addressed during the committee process and in the discussion of amendments. Several Members of Congress cited support from NCFC members for the bill during the debate on the House floor.

From Rep. Bradley Byrne of Alabama:

Let me tell you, there are over 170 groups that have signed on to being supportive of this bill. I do not have time to read all the names to you, but let me just read a few: the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation…the National Coalition for Fishing Communities…and the Guy Harvey Foundation. This is a very broadly, deeply supported bill among people who are actually fishing. Now, it may not be supported by people who don’t fish and who don’t know anything about fishing, but for those of us who do fish…we like it.

From Rep. Garret Graves of Louisiana:

…Mr. Chairman, this bill is bipartisan. It’s why we have bipartisan support for this legislation. We have co-sponsors. It’s why the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Coalition for Fishing Communities…American Scallop Association, Garden State Seafood Association, West Coast Seafood Processors Association, North Carolina Fisheries Association, Florida Keys Commercial Fishing Association, Gulf Coast Seafood Alliance, Southeastern Fisheries Association and many, many others that have a genuine stake in the sustainability of our fisheries [support this legislation].

In the debate over a proposed amendment from Reps. Jared Huffman of California and Alcee Hastings of Florida that would be detrimental to commercial fishing, Rep. Don Young of Alaska, author of the bill, quoted from a letter signed by several of our members and submitted the day before the vote. The amendment was ultimately defeated.

According to a letter authorized by the National Coalition for Fishing Communities…I want to submit for the record, if I could, the letter to the leadership of the House and to myself where they say… “We believe it will undermine the MSA, impede reforms that are desperately needed, and attack jobs in coastal communities around the country, including California and Florida,” the home states of Mr. Huffman and Mr. Hastings. I suggest this amendment is uncalled for and frankly will gut the bill and the MSA, period.