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www.FL-Seafood.com
the web site of the
Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing
Division of Marketing and Development
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
2051 East Dirac Drive
Tallahassee, FL 32310-3760

Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Charles H. Bronson, Commissioner

Overview of Florida Seafood and Aquaculture Bookmark and Share

Florida ranks among the top five states in 2006 fresh seafood production with an average harvest of over 96 million pounds harvested and a dockside value of more than $186 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 $74.9 million of aquaculture products in 2005.

The value of Florida’s aquaculture sales ranks seventh in the nation.

Tropical fish dominates the Florida aquaculture industry as the Number 1 commodity with $33 million in sales in 2005.

According to the report “Fisheries Economics of the United States 2006,” Division of Economics and Social Analysis, Office of Science and Technology, NOAA Fisheries, Florida commercial fishing industry-harvesters, seafood processors and dealers, seafood wholesalers and seafood retailers generated $5.2 billion, and 103,000 jobs.

Florida serves a $24 billion restaurant industry and 5,288 seafood retailers including independent and grocery chain stores.

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.

Over 710 aquaculturists produce the greatest variety of aquatic species of any state in the nation.

United States' aquaculture sales during 2005 were over $1 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
Producers Total
Net Sales
Percent of Total
Tropical Fish
133
$33,232,000
44.3
Aquatic Plants
20
$17,560,000
23.4
Clams and Oysters
153
$10,694,000
14.2
Alligators
14
$4,070,000
5.4
Tilapia
18
$477,000
0.06
Catfish
23
$1,434,000
1.9
Other Aquatics
--
$5,245,000
6.9
Live Rock
6
$341,000
0.04
Total
$74,975,000

Florida Aquaculture – Size of Operation

Acres in
Operation
Number of
Operations
Percent
of Total
Less than 3
185
51.5
3 to 5.9
61
17.0
6 to 19.9
79
22.0
20 to 49.9
25
7.0
50 to 99.9
9
2.5
Total
359
100.0

Florida Aquaculture – Labor

 
Farms
Workers
Unpaid labor
158
262
Paid labor, full-time
95
478
Paid labor, part-time
143
315

Above charts reflect the most current data available 2005 provided by the Florida Agricultural Statistics Services in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

Clam Plantings 2003-2006

Clams planted in 2003 350,398,000
Clams planted in 2004 392,100,000
Clams planted in 2005 (est.) 350,000,000
Clams to be planted in 2006 500,000,000

Alligator Inventory, By Type – Florida

 
2004
2006
Number of Producers
13
14
Total Alligators on hand
69,000
56,300
Brood Stock
3,800
1,800
Hatchlings
23,700
20,600
All other
41,600
33,900

Report statistics provided by the Florida Agricultural Statistics Services in cooperation with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. The Florida aquaculture industry is surveyed every other year. To read the complete report for 2005 go to www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Florida/index.asp.

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