Renowned chefs from the Gulf region will share their passion for local, sustainable seafood at Audubon Nature Institute’s second annual Summer of Sustainability dinner series launching on Thursday, June 1, at 6:30 p.m. and continuing through August. Tickets are going fast! Click here for more information and to purchase tickets. “The first dinner on June […]
Every year, Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries closes state waters to blue crab fishing for a period of time. This year the closure was for 30 days, and during that time over 5,600 derelict crab traps were removed. G.U.L.F. had the opportunity to attend the volunteer day on March 4th with LDWF and Lake […]
Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) continues its mission to ensure the viability of Gulf of Mexico fisheries by certifying Louisiana blue crab under its new certification program. The G.U.L.F. Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certification is a regionalized model measuring the responsible practices for the sustainable harvest of our vibrant Gulf of Mexico […]
The number of fishery improvement projects (FIPs) globally has grown dramatically,yet there has been no central clearinghouse for detailed FIP progress tracking. However, that has now changed this week with the launch of FisheryProgress.org. FisheryProgress.org is a one-stop shop for information on the progress of global fishery improvement projects. It makes tracking progress more efficient, […]
There’s nothing fishy about Carrollton Market’s tribute to National Seafood Month….but the menu certainly is! In partnership with Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.), on October 25th at 7:00 p.m., Carrollton Market will host Tuna Fête, a six-course dinner dedicated to locally sourced seafood, specifically tuna. “We do our best to source […]
G.U.L.F. Program Will Reduce Impacts to Sea Turtles Through Shrimp Industry Engagement Audubon Nature Institute has received nearly $52, 000 to work with the skimmer shrimp fishery of the Northern Gulf on sea turtle conservation. Awarded by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), the grant will fund work to reduce sea turtle capture […]
On Thursday, June 30, 2016, G.U.L.F. appeared on the local New Orleans station WWL with the chair of the G.U.L.F. Chef Council, Tenney Flynn. Check out the clip below to see Chef Tenney cook up some amazing seafood to whet your appetite for the Summer of Sustainability!
Audubon Nature Institute’s sustainable seafood program, Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) is pleased to announce a partnership with Mississippi Commercial Fishermen Union (MSCFU) to increase awareness of sustainable fishing practices that will ultimately result in a more robust fishery and foster community knowledge of sustainably managed Gulf seafood. […]
On June 22, 2016, John Fallon and Ashford Rosenberg appeared as guests on the Cuisine Report, a local radio show on WGSO 990AM in New Orleans whose mission is to promote new restaurants and support established restaurants, to feature local food brands, and to educate and be educated about topics trends and news about our local and […]
Building on the great success of last year’s event, Great Chefs for G.U.L.F., Audubon Nature Institute’s sustainable seafood program Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) is celebrating the bounty of the Gulf of Mexico all summer. The Summer of Sustainability is a dinner series hosted at Audubon attractions, featuring the chefs of the G.U.L.F. Chef […]
Shrimp is the largest fishery in Louisiana, with 109 million pounds worth approximately $227 million landed in the state in 2014. Sustainability is vital to keep the delicious shrimp harvested in Louisiana and Gulf waters available for consumption, to ensure the health of the ecosystem, and to support the livelihood of the shrimpers who work […]
Traps are the most common way that blue crabs are harvested in the Gulf of Mexico, as well as along the Atlantic Coast. In the Gulf, traps were introduced as gear in the late 1940s and were the predominant gear by the 1950s. While they made harvest easier and more profitable for fishermen, problems arose […]
For the last two years, Audubon Nature Institute’s sustainable seafood program, Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.), has been working with the seafood industry and management agencies in all five Gulf States on Marine Advancement Plans (MAPs). This work, commissioned by the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, aims to provide a road map that will […]
Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) is excited to announce an exclusive culinary experience in an unforgettable setting. Please join some of New Orleans’ best chefs as they present an all-inclusive six-course dinner set in front of Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ breathtaking Gulf of Mexico exhibit. Proceeds from this event will benefit […]
In October 2014, Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) launched its restaurant partnership program by forming a Chef Council. This summer, we have expanded the program, adding 11 new restaurants. Dickie Brennan, owner and managing partner of Dickie Brennan and Co said, “I’m a proud New Orleanian and growing up in the […]
We at Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) pride ourselves on the hands-on approach we take to sustainability and Gulf Coast seafood. We actively travel the Gulf of Mexico, speaking with management and industry on how to best advance the sustainability of our fisheries. Ashford says “Mexico is that way, ” in […]
Today, Bill HR 668 passed into law, which repeals the 1987 law prohibiting state agents from enforcing turtle excluder devices (TEDs) on shrimp trawls in state waters. TEDs are installed in nets to allow endangered sea turtles to escape while shrimpers are fishing. Since 1987, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries and the United States […]
Bycatch, often referred to as “trash fish, ” is becoming a hot culinary trend nationwide. When fishermen go out, they target certain species. Sometimes, other species are caught, and these are usually thrown back because they are not seen as valuable. In other words, the fishermen can’t get as much money for them. Chefs are […]
Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) has spent the last year working with the blue crab industry in Texas to create a Marine Advancement Plan (MAP). MAPs are a collaborative effort between G.U.L.F., management, and industry to advance the fishery towards greater sustainability. “Texas Parks and Wildlife Department does a great job managing […]
The sixth annual Mississippi Seafood Cook-Off will be held Friday, June 5, from 4 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Slavonian Lodge in Biloxi. The competition showcases 10 of Mississippi’s most talented chefs, and they will be competing for the title of “king” or “queen” of Mississippi seafood. Each chef will present his or her […]
On April 28, the Texas State Aquarium in Corpus Christi hosted its third Seafood Wars event. While sustainable seafood dinners are not new for Texas State Aquarium, this new format creates a competitive atmosphere, where chefs are challenged to appease a crowd of 100 seafood lovers. Guests vote after sampling the chef’s dishes and a […]
Since 1987, enforcement agents with the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries have been prohibited from enforcing federal turtle-excluder device laws. Over the last several months, the shrimp industry of Louisiana has been working to change this. The bill repealing the enforcement law still has to go through the Louisiana legislature, but it was introduced […]
We have officially become a Sustainable Seafood Affiliate with FishChoice, a business-to-business website that connects parties with a common interest in supplying and providing sustainable seafood. FishChoice’s restaurant finder is an interactive tool that features G.U.L.F’s ten restaurant partners, as well as other restaurants around the country committed to serving responsibly sourced seafood to their […]
1. Love seafood? New app helps you find the freshest catch. (more) 2. Seafood Summit in Houma on March 11th. (more) 3. January landings of shrimp in Gulf of Mexico second lowest in last decade. (more) 4. Florida Supreme Court keeps ban of gill nets intact. (more) 5. LDWF removes 400 crab traps from LA […]
On February 13, G.U.L.F. traveled to Port St. Joe, Florida to organize a meeting between Gary Graham and Lindsey Parker of Sea Grant and the managers and captains at Wood’s Fisheries. One of two major shrimp processors in the Port St. Joe area, Wood’s Fisheries is committed to the sustainability of the Gulf shrimp industry. […]
1. Audubon G.U.L.F. promoting sustainability for Alabama blue crab (more) 2. Wegmans invites Northeast shoppers to get wild with Gulf shrimp (more) 2. Early tickets go on sale for seafood blog conference. (more) 3. Mississippi governor creates oyster council to help boost industry. (more)
There are ten days left in the public comment period for the G.U.L.F. Standard. We welcome any feedback you have. To submit a comment, email it to gulf@auduboninstitute.org. Once we have received all comments, our Technical Advisory Committee will reconvene to address them. The public comment period will close on February 13th, 2015.
1. Louisiana shrimp landings up for 2014 as local season closes (more) 2. Seafood Wars at Texas State Aquarium (more) 3. Audubon Nature Institute releases cold stunned sea turtles (more) 4. Oystermen battle over the future of Texas oyster reefs (more)
Global Trust and a team of assessors will be conducting on-site assessments of the Louisiana blue crab and oyster fisheries. The data gathered by the assessors will be used to benchmark them against the Audubon G.U.L.F. Standard, and ultimately a certification decision regarding their sustainability will be made later in the year. Site visits will be […]
2015 marks the start of the assessment process for both Louisiana blue crab and oyster. The applications of the fisheries and timelines for the assessment are available on our website; check back frequently for updates and additional materials. After an RFP process, we have chosen to use the assessment services of Global Trust, Inc. They […]
1. Despite high prices and lower supply, oyster bars and specials proliferate around New Orleans. (more) 2. Meauxbar Chef Kristin Essig in Elle Magazine. (more) 3. G.U.L.F. seeks public comment on certification standard. (more)
We at Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) are very proud of our work across the Gulf of Mexico. To better exhibit our projects, our organization, and the need for and presence of sustainable Gulf fisheries, we produced a series of videos. Visit our new YouTube channel or click the links below. Get to Know […]
1. Louisiana considers “Catch and Cook” Program. (more) 2. Expanding U.S. aquaculture to the open ocean. (more) 3. Off-bottom oyster farming launched in Grand Isle waters. (more) 4. Dr. Kathryn D. Sullivan to deliver keynote at the SeaWeb Seafood Summit in New Orleans. (more)
2014 was an incredible year for G.U.L.F.! We made huge strides, and look forward to continuing to unite the Gulf seafood industry in 2015. Here are some of our biggest accomplishments from the past year: 1. Start of Marine Advancement Plans The start of 2014 marked the launch of our Marine Advancement Plan (MAP) project. MAPs are a tool to […]
1. Restaurant partner Meauxbar included in Gambit’s favorite restaurants of 2014. (more) 2. Commercial fishing workshop upcoming in Houma, LA. (more) 3. Nova Southeastern University professor angling for invasive lionfish. (more)
1. Presidential Task Force on Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing releases recommendations, open for public comment. (more) 2. 27 Cold-stunned sea turtles arrive at Audubon Nature Institute for treatment. (more) 3. Louisiana opens waters closed Since oil spill in 2010. (more) 4. Research shows minimal impact on sea turtles from shrimping industry. (more)
Each year the National Restaurant Association, an organization dedicated to supporting the food-service industry, releases a report that projects the top culinary trends for the upcoming year. Environmental sustainability has been high on the list over the last couple of years, and according to the report, locally sourced meat and seafood is the hottest trend […]
In November, Outreach Coordinator Ashford Rosenberg, took to the sky to take a look at the Louisiana coastline. The opportunity is part of a grant that gives people the opportunity to see how the coast has changed over the last few hundred years. Land loss is a major concern in Louisiana, especially in the wake […]
The month of October was especially eventful for G.U.L.F. as we celebrated National Seafood Month. Our Sea to Table series with Louisiana Sea Grant and Whole Foods was a new way to expose participants to the joys of cooking and consuming seafood. “Our goal with the first year’s program was to develop an outreach tool […]
Project Coordinator, John Fallon, and Chef Tenney Flynn were invited onto local station WWL to discuss the formation of G.U.L.F’s new Chef Council. Together, this council will advocate for U.S. Gulf of Mexico fisheries by serving it in their restaurants and encouraging their patrons to support the local seafood industry. In addition, the council will […]
October 2, 2014 Yesterday was a big day for Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.). To kick of National Seafood Month Audubon Nature Institute officials along with influential local chefs from the Gulf region gathered yesterday at Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ Geaux Fish! exhibit, a gallery dedicated to the marine resourced […]
In an effort to get Louisiana consumers to choose local, Gulf of Mexico seafood, the Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) is teaming up with the Louisiana Sea Grant, area chefs and Whole Foods to launch the “Sea to Table” series. Beginning Oct. 2 and running four weeks, four Whole Food locations in the […]
Whole Foods Market® hosts October Sea to Table Series Area chefs to demonstrate easy ways to enjoy Gulf seafood at home Ticket sales benefit Audubon Nature Institute Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries and Louisiana Sea Grant NEW ORLEANS, LA. (Sept. 18, 2014) Thursdays in October, the Whole Foods Market Arabella Station, Baton Rouge, Broad Street […]
G.U.L.F.’s work would not be possible without the support of the seafood industry. We are excited to announce that Wegmans, the highly successful retailer, and Wood’s Fisheries, a shrimp processor in Florida and the only shrimp aquaculture facility in the state, have signed letters of support for G.U.L.F. Since its founding in 1916, Wegmans has […]
Watching the weathered green trawling nets slowly rise out of the muddy Louisiana waters, a certain aroma of fresh shrimp slowly envelops the air as the swollen net swings over my head and into the boat. As the haul is dumped atop the holding container, we immediately drop the nets back in the water and start […]
This year, Audubon Nature Institute will be celebrating the fifth year of Scales and Ales, an annual event that raises funds for Audubon’s education and conservation programs. The event features local beer and food. This year, our partner Chef Tenney Flynn will be in the VIP tent cooking up some lionfish. In an interview with […]
One of the hot topics along the Gulf Coast is the incidental capture of sea turtles in shrimp nets. At one time, shrimp trawls were listed as the primary cause for sea turtle mortality in U.S. waters. There are six species of sea turtles that occur in the Gulf of Mexico (leatherback, loggerhead, Kemp’s ridley, […]
John Fallon, Project Coordinator, of G.U.L.F. was on Fox 8 this morning talking about our partnership with Tenney Flynn and the impact restaurants have on Gulf seafood.
Chef Tenney Flynn of New Orleans restaurant, GW Fins, is advocating for the sustainability of seafood from the Gulf of Mexico by partnering with Audubon Nature Institute’s Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) to form a council composed of influential chefs in the region. Nearly 70% of all seafood consumed in the U.S. is enjoyed […]
Earlier this month our research assistant, Laura Picariello, took a trip to Baja California, Mexico to assist the Marine Biology Field Program run through Glendale College, CA. As part of the summer Marine Biology course, students spend two weeks in the small coastal fishing village of Bahia de los Angeles on the Gulf of California […]
Last week, Assistant Director Julianna Mullen and Project Coordinator John Fallon talked with TWILA TV about the G.U.L.F. program. Twila TV is a program dedicated to Louisiana agriculture. We enjoyed spending time with them and taking them through Audubon Aquarium of the Americas’ exhibit dedicated to Louisiana fisheries, Geaux Fish! Lance Nacio of Anna Marie Shrimp also joined […]
Walk into any grocery store and one will see the importance location has upon our decision to purchase food: Georgia peaches, Florida oranges, Idaho potatoes, Texas Angus beef, and Maine lobsters just to name a few. Not only are consumers paying more attention to where their food comes from, a push for locally grown food […]
The approach of warm temperatures means many things on the Gulf Coast: festival season, the height of seafood season, and storm season. This past weekend, all three went hand-in-hand as G.U.L.F. was hard at work spreading the message of sustainable seafood across the Gulf Coast. In our own back yard was New Orleans Oyster Festival. […]
This past weekend, the New Orleans Wine and Food Experience took over the city at restaurants, event spaces, and parks all across the city. This extravagant event is an opportunity for chefs, restaurants, and wineries to showcase the unique flavors of New Orleans cuisine to the thousands of locals and tourists who attend. Within this experience is […]
MDMR holds public meeting May 22 News Release – MDMR Contact: Melissa Scallan, 228-523-4124 BILOXI, Miss – The Mississippi Department of Marine Resources will hold a public meeting Thursday, May 22, to get input from resident commercially licensed oyster and crab fishermen affected by the opening of the Bonnet Carre Spillway in 2011. The hearing […]
No matter the part of the country, commercial fishing is a hazardous and back-breaking profession, with people’s livelihoods completely dependent on natural forces aligning in such a way as to provide a bounty of fish and shellfish for harvest. In addition, fishers are at the mercy of weather that can be notoriously severe in the Gulf […]
Last week, John Fallon and Ashford Rosenberg joined charter captain C.T. Williams on a competitive excursion into Lake Borgne. Along with Dee Murphy, Assistant Curator of Fishes at the Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, the competition was hot as each person attempted to be the first to land 5 redfish. The final score was a […]
On April 23, Laura Picariello and Ashford Rosenberg attended the second annual Alabama Seafood Summit. This event offered the opportunity to network with the seafood industry and talk about our Alabama blue crab MAP. Click here for an article from Al.com.
Julianna Mullen, Assistant Director at G.U.L.F. sat on a panel at Seafood Expo North America in Boston, Massachusetts this month. Read more about the Gulf of Mexico sustainability panel here.
Welcome to the Gulf United for Lasting Fisheries (G.U.L.F.) blog! Here, you will find the latest news on sustainable seafood, fisheries science, marine conservation, and regular updates on the work G.U.L.F. is doing in the Gulf of Mexico. If you haven’t had the chance to browse our website or the blog site, here is a […]