by Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
The Gulf Seafood Newsroom – GulfSeafoodNews.com – created and staffed by Newsroom Ink, played an integral role in securing a $2.25 million grant for the Gulf Seafood Institute (GSI). The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) grant will finance approximately 350 federally-permitted charter boat vessels in the Gulf of Mexico to enter a pilot program administered by CLS America.
“This is a historic game changer,” said GSI Board President Harlon Pearce. “Gulf Seafood News played an important part in securing the grant, and will be an integral part of the communications effort to ensure its success.” Photo: Ed Lallo/Louisiana Seafood News
The landmark project will engage the fishing industry, federal and state managers, and scientists from across the region in order to generate real-time, verifiable, and high-quality recreational fishing data, especially for Gulf red snapper.
“This is a historic game changer,” said GSI Board President Harlon Pearce. “With this grant, we are taking accountability of the recreational fishermen to the next level and at the same time ensuring the sustainability of the Gulf’s fishing resources for generations to come. Gulf Seafood News played an important part in securing the grant, and will be crucial in our communications efforts to ensure its success.”
Groundbreaking Achievement
“I am thrilled to hear that the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Seafood Institute and CLS America are angling to support better, cheaper fisheries management with these investments in electronic monitoring and reporting,” Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski told Gulf Seafood News. Photo: Mikulski for Congress
The grants overseen by NFWF are a result of appropriations legislation passed in December of 2014 by Congress providing NOAA $2 million in funding for the project. NFWF contributed an additional $2 million in matching funds for monitoring projects for fisheries in Alaska, New England and the Pacific Coast.
“I am thrilled to hear that the National Fish and Wildlife Federation, the Gulf Seafood Institute and CLS America are angling to support better, cheaper fisheries management with these investments in electronic monitoring and reporting,” Maryland Senator Barbara A. Mikulski told Gulf Seafood News.
“Electronic monitoring and reporting will lower costs without sacrificing accountability. This investment is good for everyone: it supports the fishermen at the docks, it helps the buyers at the market, and it protects the vulnerable fish populations that we’ve worked so hard to restore. I’m proud that GSI and CLS America are playing a crucial role in ensuring that fish and fishing families will thrive for years to come.”
“Our newsroom is an influential and respected voice in the offices of Gulf Congressmen on the Hill. Newsroom Ink and Ed Lallo has been instrumental in bringing this organization to where we are today,” said Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Foods and a GSI Board Member. Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
A number of Gulf groups competed to become administrators for the project. The proposal submitted by the Gulf Seafood Institute and Lanham, MD based CLS America had the endorsement of the Gulf’s Charter Fisherman’s Association (CFA) and the Destin, Florida Charter Boat Association, many of whom have already volunteered to participate in the project.
“GSI as a organization has worked tirelessly to help the charter-for-hire sector develop and test a electronic log book system that is near real time, accurate, verifiable and affordable to the average charter for hire businessman,” said Captain Capt. Gary Jarvis of the Back Down 2. “The success of this totally funded pilot program will be instrumental in moving the data collection system for the charter for hire sector into the 21st century as it develops its own fisheries management plan to sustainably fish the allocation set aside for the non-boat owning public.”
According to Margaret Henderson, GSI’s Executive Director, “Newsroom Ink’s Ed Lallo has been instrumental in establishing the Gulf Seafood Institute as the voice of the Gulf’s seafood community, especially on Capitol Hill. Gulf Seafood News brings to life first-person perspectives of messages important to our stakeholders, media, industry experts and legislators. Our young organization would not have the influential voice it has today on the Hill and in the media without GulfSeafoodNews.com. I personally recommend Newsroom Inks services to anyone seeking to broaden their scope of influence with the seafood community and beyond.”
According to Margaret Henderson, GSI’s Executive Director, “Newsroom Ink’s Ed Lallo has been instrumental in establishing the Gulf Seafood Institute as the voice of the Gulf’s seafood community, especially on Capitol Hill,” Photo: Ed Lallo/Newsroom Ink
Henderson said the newsroom has been instrumental in shepherding this project through the federal process from the beginning. “We initially approached Congress about obtaining federal funds for the program in early 2014 and worked closely with the office of Alabama Senator Richard Shelby and others to see the initial $2 million in electronic data collection funds set aside in the FY 2015 Omnibus Appropriations package,” she said.
“Providing tangible results is the goal of any successful communications program,” said Ed Lallo, CEO of Newsroom Ink. “The Gulf Seafood Newsroom is a communications tool that has provided measureable results time after time for the organization, this time $2.25 million in results. It is a privilege to work with the leadership of the Gulf Seafood Institute, as well of the thousand of men and women along the Gulf Coast that provide safe, sustainable seafood to millions of Americans.”
Support On The Hill
“The federal government’s failure to properly oversee red snapper stocks has a harmful impact on fishermen and our economy, which is why it is critical to use new technology that can improve the management of the fishery,” Senator Shelby told Gulf Seafood News. Photo: U.S. Congress
Throughout the process, GSI worked hand-in-hand with charter captains from across the Gulf, NOAA, NFWF and others to ensure the program was crafted in a way that is workable for charter captains and can efficiently capture much-needed data on the health of several critical Gulf fisheries. Gulf Seafood News continuously reported the progress on all levels.
“The federal government’s failure to properly oversee red snapper stocks has a harmful impact on fishermen and our economy, which is why it is critical to use new technology that can improve the management of the fishery,” Senator Shelby told Gulf Seafood News. “This important grant provision that I included in the fiscal year 2015 Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill will allow real-time electronic reporting of red snapper for charter boats in the Gulf for the first time.”
The GSI-led proposal also had the support of Congresswoman Martha Roby of Alabama. In a letter of support to NFWF she said, “The GSI and CLS America proposal has strong support from charter operators in my district and across the Gulf. It has long been a priority for all of these groups to improve upon current data collection activities in a way that can bring additional accountably to the entire Gulf recreational fishing community.”
“Simply put, we wouldn’t be where we are today without the groundbreaking Gulf Seafood Newsroom,” said Jim Gossen, chairman of Sysco Louisiana Foods and a GSI Board Member. “Our newsroom is an influential and respected voice in the offices of Gulf Congressmen on the Hill. Newsroom Ink and Ed Lallo has been instrumental in bringing this organization to where we are today.”
