June 18, 2008

Eat Florida Seafood And "Go Native!"

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is rolling out a new promotional campaign, “Go Native! Eat Florida Seafood,” to encourage consumers to “eat like the locals.” With the growing nationwide interest in buying locally produced foods, “Go Native!” is designed to help consumers easily identify and select seafood caught in Florida’s waters.

Go Native logo “This program gives consumers the information to choose delicious, healthy seafood with confidence in the quality and safety,” says Joanne McNeely, Chief of the Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing.

The “Go Native!” name is a reference to eating locally caught seafood like Florida natives, old and new. With more than 80 seafood varieties found right off Florida’s coast the choices are limitless. Local families in the seafood business take pride in providing premium-quality seafood with superior flavor for customers of the local seafood markets and restaurants.

The eye-catching logo, a colorful cartoon fish with funky sunglasses, is a central component of the “Go Native!” campaign.

“We wanted to create something unique that people would easily recognize and associate with seafood from Florida,” McNeely said.

“Go Native!” television ads will run throughout the summer to encourage consumers to look for this logo to identify the Florida seafood products at participating seafood markets and restaurants.

The “Go Native” campaign spotlights Florida’s important seafood industry and aims to boost business for retailers and restaurants as well. The economic impact of the seafood industry in the state is almost $1 billion annually and the industry creates more than 30,000 jobs throughout Florida.

So the next time you dine out or purchase fresh seafood to dine in, remember to look for the “Go Native!” logo to find Florida seafood from local waters. For more information about the campaign or Florida seafood recipes, visit www.FL-Seafood.com.

For more information:
Barbera Turnbull
(850) 488-0163
turnbub@doacs.state.fl.us