March 5, 2007
Pensacola: Florida Commercial Fishing Epic
Pensacola is usually noted for the five flags that have flown over it -- Spanish, French, British, American and Confederate. The focus today is tourism due to its miles of beautiful, white, cornstarch textured beaches and the U.S. Naval Air Station. Few people realize that commercial fishing once played a major role in the waterfront history and economy of this city that is the seat of government for Escambia County.
No matter which flag was flying over the city, the beautiful Pensacola Bay shared the bounty of its waters with those who pursued it. The bay was home to an enormous number of finfish such as mahi-mahi, mackerel, snapper, grouper and mullet. The area also provided a home for shrimp, oysters and clams.
The northern Gulf became a real factor in the commercial fishing industry just prior to the Civil War. A growing market for Florida red snapper and grouper developed and this area of the Gulf proved to be the most fertile fishery for these species. Many of the fishermen who engaged in the red snapper industry in the early days were New England transplants of Scandinavian origin. Other fisher folk from around the globe also migrated to the area due to the abundance of the harvests.
Pensacola became the center of the fishery when the first company for handling and shipping red snapper opened in 1872. Originally owned by S.C. Cobb, A F. Warren was brought in as a partner soon after and eventually became the owner. The business operated until the late 1920s as the Warren Fish Company. The earliest records available in 1880 indicated 1.5 million pounds of red snapper were caught and sold.
During the 1880s, the fishing vessels used were primarily of two types. “Smacks” were large sailing schooners between 50 and 60 tons, and 60 to 100 feet in length. Each could carry eight to 11 men and had about 20 tons of ice capacity. The hearty fishermen of the day would spend up to a month at sea. There were about 58 of these unique vessels still in use in 1935. “Chings” were smaller vessels that stayed closer to shore, carried a crew of four to five fishermen and only remained at sea for about 10 days.
In January 1890, the Florida Times-Union noted the Pensacola activities of the time: “the average catch ranges from 2,000 to 30,000 pounds, or from 500 to 3,000 fish. As soon as landed at Pensacola, the fish are packed in ice and sent off by rail in every direction far and near. The red snapper fishing has grown very rapidly in the last five years and now stands next to the sponge fishery in importance. It seems safe to predict that it will, in a few years more, stand at the head of the list of Florida’s fishing industries.”
The Fishing Gazette, dated February 5, 1913, informed its readers that during 1912 the E.E. Saunders Co. and the Warren Fish Company unloaded 10,749,191 pounds of red snapper and grouper from the 50 fishing smacks controlled by the two large companies. Only about 20 percent of the catch was grouper. From about 1915 and into the 1920s, the local fish houses operated the nation’s last all sail fishing fleets. Pensacola fishermen converted to the diesel-powered engines which eventually made their lives so much easier and more productive.
The major fish houses built large wharves to better service the fishing fleet. Wharves seemed to become an attractive investment and useful tool for shippers and railroads. In the early 20th century, Pensacola was home to the three largest piers on earth. In 1906 there were at least seven privately owned wharves that qualified as significant because of the quantity and size of goods shipped. The three largest were owned by the L&N and St. Louis railroad which had large grain elevators and coal shipping facilities right on the piers. One stretched into the bay for more than a mile and a half. These mighty wharves were destroyed mysteriously in the 1950s and 1960s by fires of unknown origin.
The commercial fishing industry in Pensacola has endured the challenges of wars and the changes they brought as well as several hurricanes. Commercial fishing still exists today on a smaller scale. The past 10 years have seen a steady decrease in the number of people who earn their living from the sea.
In 1996, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issued 353 annual saltwater products licenses. In 2005, only 133 were issued. However, although not as dominant as the boom years, commercial fishing continues to play a role in the county’s economy and ranks 21st among Florida coastal counties in its seafood landings. In 2005, more than 1.1 million pounds of Florida seafood was harvested in Escambia County.
Additional Information on Pensacola
For more information:
Phyllis McCranie
(850) 488-0163
mccranp@doacs.state.fl.us
