Get ready to have an up-close and personal relationship with your red snapper supper. In response to last year's massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and growing concerns about ocean sustainability, the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders' Alliance is launching Gulf Wild, a branding effort that will attach a unique tag to the gill of every fish its members catch. Chefs and consumers can then enter the code in a "Find my fish" feature on its Web site, and not only see precisely where the fish was harvested, but even a photo of the fisherman who caught it.
The brand, and the promotional efforts that will support it in the coming months, are important for two reasons, David Krebs, president of the group, tells Marketing Daily. "First, we want consumers to know this fish has been specifically tested for safety, beyond what the government does. But it's also a way to let chefs and consumers know that these fish are now being caught in an environmentally sustainable way."
Red snapper from the region is currently on the "avoid" list of such environmental watchdogs as the Monterey Bay Aquarium, he says, even though the program to bring the fish's numbers back up ended in 2009. Red snapper has seen an increase of 40% in its allowable catch, the Alliance says, as have red grouper, and more than a dozen other grouper and tile fish species.
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