My Gulf Wild

FAQ

What is Gulf Wild™?
Gulf Wild™ is a unique new brand of U.S.-caught seafood that provides real-time tracking back to original fishermen, thus ensuring the authenticity of wild finfish harvested from the Gulf of Mexico. Gulf Wild™ incorporates a unique suite of sustainability, safety-inspected, transparency, tracking and marketing solutions under a single label. The entire brand was engineered by environmentally conscious, working fishermen in the Gulf of Mexico.

How is Gulf Wild™ unique?
We differentiate every one of our wild caught fish with a uniquely numbered Gulf Wild™ gill tag, each tag being tracked within our technologically advanced myGulfWild™ website. Our dynamic web portal displays the credentials of every individual Gulf Wild™ fish – including who caught it, where, from what vessel, and more. The entire Gulf Wild™ concept assures seafood buyers (chefs and end consumers, alike) that the fish they purchase is responsibly harvested by conservation-minded fishermen in a sustainably-focused fishery.

How does Gulf Wild™ ensure sustainability?
Gulf Wild™ is a conservation-focused program that contributes — in several ways — to the long-term health and abundance of its namesake iconic fishery. First, all Gulf Wild™ fishermen participate in a catch-share program, a resource management approach to incentivize the responsible harvesting of fish. Nearly two decades of research shows that catch share programs reduce the likelihood of fishery depletion, increase participants’ compliance with catch limits, reduce by-catch (unintentionally harvested fish), and help reduce high-grading (tossing of low value fish) and discards (of dead or dying unwanted fish). Additionally, Gulf Wild™ fishermen agree to a strict set of resource-oriented “Conservation Covenants” that extend far beyond federal requirements, standards that elevate our brand above others.

What’s the idea behind the Gulf Wild™ gill tags?
Authentication, food security and trackability are the key concepts behind our Gulf Wild™ tags. Our sequentially numbered gill tag affixes a unique number to each individual fish, much like a social security number — no two are alike. Each number is affiliated with only one unique fish. Boat captains and crews record the assigned numbers into our Gulf Wild™ TransparenSea™ System, which displays the specific credentials of every fish until the tag is removed or the fish is consumed.

What benefits does Gulf Wild™ offer buyers?
The Gulf Wild™ system assures retailers and wholesalers that their wild-caught Gulf of Mexico seafood is genuine, responsibly harvested, and from a conservation-focused fishery. In this “meet the producer” era, chefs and restaurant buyers can build trust, loyalty and marketing value by featuring the specific stories of our individual Gulf Wild™ fishermen and their vessels. Retail and restaurant buyers with sustainability pledges can support their promises with full certainty. The entire system reestablishes consumer confidence and trust in Gulf of Mexico seafood.

Does this program resolve mislabeling Issues?
Yes, thanks to immediate online confirmation of the fish type and original harvesting area in the Gulf of Mexico, buyers and sellers receive the high-value sustainable Gulf fish they paid for. The unique Gulf Wild™ tagging system helps to clearly identify substitutions of lower-value fish or product harvested from other than where the label declares.

Who started Gulf Wild™?
Gulf Wild™ was engineered by the very fishermen who harvest the Gulf’s wild seafood. Gulf Wild™ fishermen are visionary members of the Gulf of Mexico Reef Fish Shareholders’ Alliance, one of the most advanced and conservation-minded groups of fishermen in the world. They sought a unique manner of business that would sustain a healthy fishery, and provide year-round consumer access to authentic and safety-inspected seafood. Their membership has agreed to wholly support this program across the entire Gulf of Mexico, from the western tip of Florida to the southernmost port in Texas.

Who supports Gulf Wild™?
Advising the Gulf Wild™ program is a seven-member national Advisory Board. This Board includes leaders from the culinary, conservation, and retail environments that serve seafood consumers at large. Additionally, a number of industry, government and private-sector supporters are stepping up daily. Just a few to publicly endorse the Gulf Wild™ brand include: the Department of Agriculture for the State of Florida, New York City’s renowned Fulton Fish Market, Boston’s Mantia Fish Company, and Dewey Destin Seafood and Restaurant, based in Destin, Florida.

Does this mean more expensive seafood now?
Not at all. While Gulf Wild is a sophisticated system, it is rooted in a fundamental mission of addressing erratic price fluctuations that were formerly seen with old-style “derby” fishing. Take the American Red Snapper, for example. In the 1990s, laws prohibited Red Snapper fishermen from harvesting the iconic American fish after the 15th day of each month. This meant fish sold later in the month was not only more expensive (supply and demand), it was also not as fresh. Today, Red Snapper fishermen in the Gulf Wild™ program have full control of their fishing seasons, and supply their catch more regularly. This means more reliable prices and fresher product for consumers nationwide.

What fish are available in the Gulf Wild™ Product line?
Although the initial Gulf Wild™ offering includes Gulf Red Snapper and Gulf Red Grouper, more than a dozen species of Gulf Grouper and Tilefish in the Gulf of Mexico’s IFQ catch share program will eventually be added to the product line.

What is myGulfWild.com?
myGulfWild.com is the real-time web interface that provides never-before transparent views of Gulf seafood operations. Simply locate our “Find My Fish” feature at myGulfWild.com and type in the unique number from any Gulf Wild™ seafood tag to immediately access the credentials connected to that specific fish:

• Specific fish type
• Name and background of Captain and his harvesting vessel
• Fish house and city where your seafood was landed
• Harvesting location, down to a 10-square mile area in the Gulf where your fish caught

Our Gulf Wild™ website provides real-time answers about Gulf of Mexico seafood like nothing has before. From a consumer point of view, it affords our customers the same transparent view of where their fish was caught, and how it came to land on their plate.

How can I support GulfWild™?
Friend us on Facebook, follow us Twitter, visit our website and tell people about Gulf Wild. Best yet, ask your seafood retailer or dealer to place an order for Gulf Wild™ brand seafood.