FORT LAUDERDALE, FL— October 28, 2014 – Mark Ellert, President of Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts & Lodges announced today the launch of the company’s new fishing app, iGHOFISH, created to serve as the record keeper for the company’s new “Fish for the Future” fishing tournament along with tournament and special fishing events at its Guy Harvey Outpost destinations. Using software developed by the Snook and Gamefish Foundation, tournament catches will automatically populate the foundation’s database of over 130 inshore and offshore species.
Running thru 2015, the innovative ‘Fish for the Future’ tournament is open to anglers anywhere in the world, with various divisions and awards for twenty gamefish species. “With the iGHOFISH app we can now actually host a tournament with literally no limit on fishing boundaries, and in the process populate the foundations’ database with valuable catch data,’ noted Ellert. “The iGHOFISH app is a perfect reflection of our Outpost brand focus on convergence of watersport recreation and marine science. It’s ‘must have’ gear in the tackle box of every Guy Harvey Outpost angler.”
Created initially by the Snook and Gamefish Foundation (SGF) as a snook species data collection process, their Angler Action program has expanded dramatically with its intuitive user-friendly format and ease of use. “Our fishery database now includes over 30,000 catches,” notes Brett Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the SGF. “We’re excited to have Guy Harvey Outpost help us expand our reach with recreational anglers, especially those committed to data-driven fishery management practices and policies.”
“This tournament and our iGHOFISH app are a way of making citizen science just as much fun as fishing,” commented Cliff Jensen, Director of Fishing Programs for Guy Harvey Outpost. “Not all of us who love to fish have a PhD like Guy Harvey, but with this iGHOFISH app every angler can make a difference by collecting data that helps put those PhD’s to work. That sounds like fun, maybe not for the scientists but certainly for the rest of us.”
There is no cost to enter the Guy Harvey Outpost “Fish for the Future” fishing tournament. The iGHOFISH app is free, and will be available for iOS and Android phones starting November 15th.
About Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts
Guy Harvey Outpost Resorts is based in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The company’s Signature Collection properties operate under the Guy Harvey Outpost brand name, with resorts currently in Florida’s popular destinations of St. Pete Beach and Islamorada. The newest Guy Harvey Outpost Resort will open on St. Augustine Beach in fall, 2015. A 30-unit Signature Collection eco-lodge is planned for construction in the Galapagos Islands, on the island of San Cristobal.
Members of the company’s Expedition Portfolio are independently operated and managed boutique sized hotels and lodges in remote destinations that offer superior service and amenities. Member hotels enjoy access to Outpost marketing and its reservation system and on-line booking engine. Expedition Properties include four in the Bahamas: Old Bahama Bay Resort & Yacht Harbour at West End, Bimini Sands on South Bimini, the Green Turtle Club and Blackfly Bonefish Lodge, both in the Abaco Islands. In the Caribbean: Fort Young Hotel on Dominica, the Southern Cross Club on Little Cayman and Hotel Playa Media Luna in Isla Mujeres, Mexico. The award winning Iguana Crossing Hotel, Isabella, Galapagos Islands.
Through the company’s GHOFish program, Guy Harvey Outpost promotes scientific angling expeditions, tournaments and charters. Expedition Outfitters an invitation-only collection of top-of-class dive shops and guided or charter boat fishing outfitters.
The company was founded in 2007 by Mark Ellert, a veteran hospitality professional, and is co-owned by Dr. Harvey, Bill Shedd and Charles Forman. Shedd is the owner of AFTCO, recognized worldwide for its big-game fishing tackle and merchandise. AFTCO is the official licensee of Guy Harvey Sportswear. Both Harvey and Shedd are trustees of the prestigious International Game Fishing Association, IGFA, cofounded by Ernest Hemingway during his days on Bimini. Forman is a practicing eminent domain lawyer and early partner of Dr. Harvey in the growth of his licensing and publishing activities.
About The Snook and Gamefish Foundation
Established in 1998 by Mr. William R. Mote, founder of the world renowned marine science organization Mote Marine Laboratory, the mission of SGF is to aid in the protection and preservation of current fish populations for future generations by facilitating coordination between anglers, researchers, and policy makers. SGF maintains an unwavering ethos of the conservation, preservation, restoration and enhancement of estuarine and coastal water habitats that define fishing – and SGF believes informed anglers are the key to realizing these goals.
SGF’s Angler Action program was designed with Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute and input from the TPWD Coastal Fisheries Division and its data is used by Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for conduction stock assessments. The program now stands on the threshold of creating a global network of angling data that will assist with stock assessments and functional habitat identification and use.