Overview of Florida Seafood and Aquaculture
Florida ranks among the top five states in 2007 for fresh seafood production with an average harvest of over 82 million pounds harvested and a dockside value of more than $174 million.
Florida fishermen catch more than 90 percent of the nation’s supply of grouper, pompano, mullet, stone crab, pink shrimp, spiny lobsters, and Spanish mackerel.
The Sunshine State boasts a fishing industry that provides more than 200 million seafood dinners annually.
Florida has more seafood processing plants than any other state.
Florida producers sold $61.6 million of aquaculture products in 2007.
The value of Florida’s aquaculture sales ranks seventh in the nation.
Tropical fish dominates the Florida aquaculture industry as the No. 1 commodity with $32.1 million in sales in 2007.
Seafood Sustainability
Seafood is sustainable when the population of that species of fish is managed in a way that provides for today's needs without damaging the ability of the species to reproduce and be available for future generations. If you buy fish managed under a U.S. fishery management plan, you can be assured it meets 10 national standards that ensure fish stocks are maintained, overfishing is eliminated, and the long-term socioeconomic benefits to the nation are achieved. Florida fishermen are required to follow federal and state laws when harvesting seafood. To learn more about sustainable seafood visit the NOAA web site.
2007 Top 20 Species in Dollars
| Species | Dockside Value |
Trips |
Avg. Price/Pound |
Total Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | $27,261,668 |
7,361 |
$2.24 |
13,025,708 |
| Spiny lobster | $27,009,162 |
18,845 |
$7.18 |
3,760,383 |
| Stone Crab claws | $26,488,352 |
24,069 |
$8.96 |
2,957,551 |
| Grouper | $21,410,039 |
19,082 |
$2.92 |
7,627,857 |
| Blue Crab(hard) | $10,455,317 |
36,019 |
$1.01 |
10,302,224 |
| Snapper | $10,152,612 |
20,459 |
$2.43 |
3,807,361 |
| Oysters | $6,710,703 |
32,803 |
$2.26 |
2,969,990 |
| King mackerel | $6,564,936 |
14,911 |
$1.66 |
3,950,934 |
| Mullet | $4,313,426 |
22,353 |
$0.65 |
6,835,635 |
| Swordfish | $3,088,184 |
1,078 |
$3.23 |
955,376 |
| Tuna | $2,906,095 |
647 |
$2.44 |
919,347 |
| Spanish mackerel | $2,546,690 |
7,648 |
$0.70 |
3,634,264 |
| Pompano | $1,325,391 |
5,089 |
$3.46 |
383,248 |
| Golden Tilefish | $1,190,581 |
790 |
$2.07 |
573,894 |
| Dolphin | $1,036,975 |
3,097 |
$1.88 |
552,845 |
| Amberjacks | $946,752 |
3,082 |
$1.06 |
896,992 |
| Shrimp, rock | $741,337 |
354 |
$1.68 |
442,365 |
| Flounders | $634,176 |
4,756 |
$2.50 |
254,022 |
| Shark | $534,947 |
1,419 |
$0.35 |
1,527,679 |
| Blue crab (soft) | $503,862 |
1,959 |
$8.34 |
60,408 |
Source: Florida Marine Research Institute
2007 Top 20 Species in Pounds
| Species | Pounds |
Trips |
Avg. Price/Pound |
Dockside Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | 13,025,708 |
7,361 |
$2.24 |
$27,261,668 |
| Blue crab (hard) | 10,302,224 |
36,019 |
$1.01 |
$10,455,317 |
| Grouper | 7,627,857 |
19,082 |
$2.92 |
$21,410,039 |
| Mullet, black | 6,578,048 |
20,063 |
$0.63 |
$4,142,487 |
| Mackerel, king | 3,950,934 |
14,911 |
$1.66 |
$6,564,936 |
| Snapper | 3,807,361 |
20,459 |
$2.43 |
$10,152,612 |
| Spiny Lobster | 3,760,383 |
18,845 |
$7.18 |
$27,009,162 |
| Spanish Mackerel | 3,634,264 |
7,648 |
$0.70 |
$2,546,690 |
| Oysters | 2,969,990 |
32,803 |
$2.26 |
$6,710,703 |
| Stone crab claws | 2,957,551 |
24,069 |
$8.96 |
$26,488,352 |
| Shark | 1,527,679 |
1,419 |
$0.35 |
$534,947 |
| Swordfish | 955,376 |
1,078 |
$3.23 |
$3,088,184 |
| Tuna | 919,347 |
647 |
$2.44 |
$2,906,095 |
| Amberjacks | 896,992 |
3,082 |
$1.06 |
$946,752 |
| Golden Tilefish | 573,894 |
790 |
$2.07 |
$1,190,581 |
| Dolphin | 552,845 |
3,097 |
$1.88 |
$1,036,975 |
| Rock Shrimp | 442,365 |
354 |
$1.68 |
$741,337 |
| Porgies | 402,191 |
2,617 |
$1.06 |
$424,544 |
| Pompano | 383,248 |
5,089 |
$3.46 |
$1,325,391 |
| Sheepshead | 271,222 |
8,570 |
$0.96 |
$259,807 |
Source: Florida Marine Research Institute
Florida Coastal Counties' Seafood Harvest 2007
| County | Amount |
|---|---|
| Monroe | $9,578,308 |
| Pinellas | $6,615,576 |
| Duval | $6,473,990 |
| Franklin | $6,368,640 |
| Lee | $6,248,197 |
| Gulf | $4,989,723 |
| Brevard | $4,299,568 |
| Bay | $3,171,528 |
| Manatee | $2,865,808 |
| St. Lucie | $2,526,573 |
| Wakulla | $2,219,524 |
| Martin | $2,076,166 |
| Citrus | $2,017,422 |
| Hillsborough | $1,946,903 |
| Collier | $1,832,750 |
| Taylor | $1,727,867 |
| Dade | $1,519,032 |
| Palm Beach | $1,516,926 |
| County | Amount |
|---|---|
| Hernando | $1,438,762 |
| Okaloosa | $1,425,324 |
| St. Johns | $1,358,554 |
| Charlotte | $1,302,663 |
| Volusia | $1,299,246 |
| Escambia | $1,213,938 |
| Indian River | $1,163,895 |
| Broward | $1,117,536 |
| Putnam | $910,380 |
| Dixie | $867,012 |
| Levy | $864,365 |
| Nassau | $809,567 |
| Pasco | $394,202 |
| Santa Rosa | $221,970 |
| Clay | $196,319 |
| Flagler | $157,896 |
| Sarasota | $133,260 |
| Walton | $94,731 |
Source: Florida Marine Research Institute
Marine Life Harvests in 2007
In addition to edible seafood and bait Florida commercially harvests marine life or tropical ornamentals mainly for the aquarium market. Urchins, octopus, and starfish are just some of the species harvested. When species are harvested they are counted individually as opposed to by the pound. In 2007 Florida harvested over 9 million individual tropical ornamentals with an estimated total value of over $3.5 million.
| Species | Number Landed |
Total Trips |
Average Price (Each) |
Estimated Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lobsters | 18,511 |
173 |
$0.26 |
$4,761 |
| Sea Cucumbers | 20,281 |
594 |
$0.72 |
$14,581 |
| Angelfish | 21,180 |
1,144 |
$12.12 |
$256,807 |
| Sponges | 21,517 |
789 |
$2.46 |
$74,502 |
| Scallops | 28,215 |
427 |
$0.74 |
$20,842 |
| Live Sand | 31,005 |
90 |
$1.20 |
$37,138 |
| Plants | 38,474 |
528 |
$1.41 |
$54,115 |
| Nudibranchs | 39,527 |
501 |
$1.12 |
$44,160 |
| Gorgonians | 43,774 |
841 |
$3.29 |
$144,041 |
| Urchins | 45,743 |
844 |
$2.45 |
$111,854 |
| Conchs | 50,646 |
102 |
$0.62 |
$31,523 |
| Seahorses | 66,261 |
741 |
$1.04 |
$68,934 |
| Corrallimorphs | 106,425 |
159 |
$2.83 |
$301,268 |
| Live Rock | 116,905 |
212 |
$2.82 |
$329,774 |
| Starfish | 118,510 |
1,003 |
$0.40 |
$47,771 |
| Anemones | 141,678 |
833 |
$0.92 |
$130,127 |
| Shrimp | 717,468 |
1,400 |
$0.40 |
$286,676 |
| Sand Dollars | 2,039,221 |
225 |
$0.08 |
$159,872 |
| Crabs | 2,772,136 |
2,746 |
$0.19 |
$513,339 |
| Snails | 2,790,607 |
2,553 |
$0.17 |
$485,684 |
Source: Florida Marine Research Institute
Aquaculture Facts and Figures
Aquaculture, simply defined as the cultivation of aquatic organisms is Florida's most diverse agribusiness.
Florida aquaculturists produce the greatest variety of aquatic species of any state in the nation.
U.S. aquaculture sales during 2007 were over $1.4 billion, with Florida ranking seventh in total sales.
Florida is a leading U.S. producer of farm-raised ornamental fish, aquatic plants and an important producer of hard clams.
Farm-gate sales have ranged from $35 million to $102 million over the last 10 years.
Florida Aquaculture Product Sales
| Products | Prducers | Net Sales | Percent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Fish | 203 | $32,100,000 | 52.0 |
| Clams and Oysters | 130 | $15,200,000 | 24.6 |
| Alligators | 13 | $6,800,000 | 11.0 |
| Other Food Fish Hybrid Striped Bass Tilapia Sturgeon |
-- | $3,400,000 | 5.5 |
| Crustacean Products | 17 | $2,500,000 | 4.0 |
| Catfish | 54 | $979,000 | 1.6 |
| Sport and Game Fish | 31 | $622,000 | 1.0 |
| Bait Farms | 5 | $71,000 | 0.01 |
| Total | $61,672,000 |
Florida Alligator Inventory, By Type
| 2004 | 2006 | 2008 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Producers | 13 | 14 | 13 |
| Total Alligators on Hand | 69,000 | 56,300 | 118,766 |
| Brood Stock | 3,800 | 1,1800 | 6,011 |
| Hatchlings | 23,700 | 20,600 | 50,974 |
| All Other | 41,600 | 33,900 | 61,781 |
The Florida aquaculture industry is surveyed every other year. To read the complete report for 2007 go to http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/Publications/2007/index.asp
