A Newsletter for the Seafood Industry published by the Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing
December 2005
Hurricane Wilma
Florida Agriculture Commissioner Charles H. Bronson surveyed the extensive damage that Hurricane Wilma caused to Florida’s seafood industry during a tour of the Marathon area. Hurricane Wilma devastated the seafood and aquaculture industry throughout an area extending from the Florida Keys to Pinellas County. Much of this area is crucial to Florida’s stone crab harvest. In addition to fish houses and other infrastructure being flooded and out of operation, many boats were damaged and more than a half-million stone crab traps and 100,000 lobster traps were damaged or lost. Tens of thousands of pounds of fresh product that had been stored in coolers was also destroyed. The farm-raised aquatic plants and tropical fish industry also suffered from major wind damage, along with no electricity for weeks.
Hurricane Wilma’s destruction has dealt a severe blow to Florida’s seafood and aquaculture industry, which had already suffered damage from Katrina and Rita. In addition, mounting economic problems have been caused by red tide outbreaks, high fuel costs and an onslaught of cheap imported shrimp. Many people involved in Florida’s seafood industry are comparing Wilma’s damage to that done by Hurricane Katrina to the seafood industries along the Mississippi, Alabama and North Florida Gulf Coast.
Florida Wild-Caught Shrimp at the 2005 Epcot International Food and Wine Festival
The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival ran from September 30 to November 13 and the bureau participated for the fourth straight year. Thousands of visitors from around the world experienced the taste of wild-caught Florida shrimp at the "Fresh from Florida" kiosk during the 10th annual festival. The kiosk was prominently placed on the Epcot promenade between Canada and Botswana, Africa. As of October 29, sales of the three shrimp dishes and Florida citrus wine at the kiosk were $61,264. The sales are up compared to last year with two more weeks of the festival to report. The Epcot International Food and Wine Festival is one of the largest gatherings of domestic and international visitors in the United States with over 1 million guests. Florida residents account for 33 percent of the festival goers.
The bureau also sponsored and made presentations at several culinary demonstrations where over a thousand guests were treated to a variety of Florida wild-caught shrimp recipes. Over 7,000 pieces of point-of-sale materials were distributed at the culinary demonstrations and Epcot.
Supermarket Sales of Wild Florida Shrimp Sizzle
As a result of bureau and industry efforts, the highly successful "Florida Wild and Wonderful Shrimp" supermarket incentive program expanded into a total of 13 supermarket chains in 26 states and Washington, D.C., in 2004-05. A total of 3,011 stores partnered in year two of the campaign to promote Florida wild-caught shrimp. In addition to the Florida chains Publix and Albertson’s, the campaign drew national and regional partners Kroger, Roundy’s, Harris Teeter, Bi-Lo, Cub Foods, Heinen’s, King Soopers, Schnucks, Fred Meyer, Farm Fresh and Texas-based Central Market.
The amount of Florida wild-caught shrimp purchased by the supermarket chains during ad incentive program was over 1.3 million pounds with a range of sales increase vs. same period last year reported at 12 percent to 1,122 percent increase. The geographic area covered in the promotion included Alabama, Alaska, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, D.C., Washington state, and Wisconsin. Consumer impressions from store advertising and point-of-purchase recipe brochures totaled over 400 million for the promotion period.
The "Florida Wild and Wonderful Shrimp" supermarket incentive program is well into its third year with growing participation from the supermarket chains, retail seafood markets and restaurants in the continuing effort to promote consumer awareness to the availability and premium quality of wild Florida shrimp.
2005 Public Waters Alligator Egg Collections
After conducting requisite surveys in late June and early July by Alligator Management Program staff, licensed farms permitted to participate in alligator egg collections, under the coordination of Allen Register, were authorized to open nests and collect alligator eggs from 18 areas scattered from north central to south Florida. Farmers opened a total of 1,577 of the 1,667 nests authorized for collection, which netted the farmers a total of 35,638 eggs to add to their farm inventories. Utilization of the wild alligator egg resource has been a critical component to the success of the alligator farming industry, since alligators do not reproduce well or consistently in captivity. Usually, upwards of 80 percent of the eggs collected successfully hatch, resulting, this year, in around 28,500 hatchlings for grow-out with a gross worth to the farmers of nearly $4.3 million.
American Crocodile Recovery Continues
The American crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) is listed as an endangered species by the federal government and the State of Florida. In 1975, when the crocodile was federally listed as endangered, habitat loss had reduced nesting in Florida primarily to northeastern Florida Bay and northern Key Largo. Annual production at that time was 20 to 22 nests. Since then, Florida crocodile populations have rebounded, and the number of nests has increased to approximately 90 annually. Concomitant with the increasing crocodile population (currently estimated to be between 800 and 1,000 animals) has been an increased number of crocodile-human conflicts.
To address a policy gap and the increasing occurrence of the various types of crocodile-human conflicts, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) created an Issue Team comprised of FWC staff and crocodile experts from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, and University of Florida. This team’s charge was to develop a comprehensive response plan that would provide guidance for dealing with all crocodile–human interactions. The goal of the plan was to promote public safety while recognizing the needs of recovery and conservation of an endangered species. The newly developed plan was approved and distributed in May 2005, and employs the use of contracted crocodile response agents to augment existing FWC staff to support the plan's implementation.
Oyster Protection Petition Withdrawn
The petition to list the Eastern Oyster as a protected species under the federal Endangered Species Act has been withdrawn. The petition was brought because Eastern Oyster populations in the Chesapeake Bay have been devastated. However, because of the thriving populations of the Eastern Oyster in the Gulf of Mexico, the petitioner felt the endangered listing was unwarranted. A team of oyster experts has been studying the health of the species since May and will finish the project even though the petition has been withdrawn. The results of the study should be helpful to the oyster industry and we will report those results when they become available.
Florida Blue Crab
It is not too late to feast on one’s of Florida’s premier delicacies. Florida blue crabs are abundant now through the end of December. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) is working to increase public awareness of the overall value of Florida’s blue crab industry and the critical challenges posed by the abundance of cheap imported crabmeat . While promoting the high quality and sweet, tasty meat of the blue crab, FDACS is informing consumers that they have a choice when purchasing crab.
The blue crab industry is economically one of Florida’s most important fisheries. Florida produces over 10 million pounds of blue crabs each year. Colorful trap buoys dot Florida estuaries from Pensacola to Jacksonville. The economic value to the state exceeds $48 million annually.
Blue crab is sold live or steamed or the meat is picked and packaged ready for delicious salads, crab cakes and stuffing. The sweet-tasting crab meat is available fresh and pasteurized in the following forms: lump, backfin, special, claw and cocktail claw. Crabmeat is one of Florida's most versatile seafoods. It can be served in cocktails, appetizers, soups, salads and main dishes. The possibilities are endless. Soft blue crab is a special delicacy produced under the watchful eye of a “crab peeler.” Try soft-shell blue crab broiled, grilled or fried. It is sure to please.
Consumers can select Florida blue crab by looking for the “Fresh from Florida” label on pasteurized or frozen blue crab meat containers and menus in restaurants. Whether you are in the mood for steamed, broiled or sautéed, Florida blue crab will satisfy your seafood appetite. Be sure to take advantage of the plentiful bounty of fresh Florida blue crabs.
Celebrating Florida Seafood
In spite of all the recent emphasis on hurricanes and red tide, the Florida Seafood Festival in historic Apalachicola was once again an event that beckoned thousands of visitors during the November 4 - 5 weekend. In addition to the delicious Florida seafood offered to tantalize the attendees, the three-day event featured a variety of events and displays under the shady oaks of Apalachicola's Battery Park.
The festival kicked off on Friday with the colorful “Blessing of the Fleet,” which was a magnificent ritual that symbolized the seafood industry. Clergymen, joined by King Retsyo and Miss Florida Seafood, blessed the parade of passing finfish and shellfish boats.
On Saturday, some of the notable events that continued throughout the weekend included a 5K Redfish Run, a gala parade and the hilarious escapades that occurred during the oyster eating and shucking competitions. For the shoppers, there was an abundance of local arts and crafts exhibits.
FDACS Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing staff hosted a booth in the educational exhibit area. Staff provided Florida seafood recipes, information and a raffle for the colorful and popular " Florida Wild and Wonderful Wild-Caught Shrimp" T-shirt.
Sebastian Clambake Lagoon Festival Celebrates Florida Farm-Raised Clams
Under brilliant blue skies and cool breezes, Bureau representatives greeted clam lovers at the Sebastian Clambake Lagoon Festival on November 4 - 6 providing aquaculture information and recipe brochures to the estimated crowd of 40,000. The Indian River area is home to many of Florida’s clam farmers with production beds located just offshore in the Indian River. The festival, in its third year, focuses on the importance, past and present, of the Indian River Lagoon to the Sebastian River area and also highlights the local seafood that has sustained the area’s residents for generations.
Educational exhibits, dubbed the Clammers’ Expo, rounded out the many activities including concerts, a carnival, historical re-enactors of early area settlers and plenty of seafood including the Clambake with Florida farm-raised clams. The Sebastian Clambake Foundation, a nonprofit coordinating area public service organizations and the business community, chooses a local charitable or public-purpose project to benefit from the proceeds of the Clambake each year.
Red Tide Status Information
The Florida red tide organism (Karenia brevis) was identified in 1947, but anecdotal reports of the effects of red tide in the Gulf of Mexico date back to the 1530s. Florida red tides occur in the Gulf of Mexico almost every year, generally in the late summer or early fall. They are most common off the central and southwestern coasts of Florida between Clearwater and Sanibel Island, but they may occur anywhere in the Gulf.
They also occur, but are less common, along the southeastern Atlantic coast as far north as North Carolina. Most blooms last three to five months and may affect hundreds of square miles. Occasionally, however, blooms continue sporadically for as long as 18 months and may affect thousands of square miles. Red tides can kill fish, birds, and marine mammals; cause health problems for humans; and adversely affect local economies.
Now, summary reports of Florida’s current red tide conditions including a map of sampling results and regional status reports are available at the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Fish and Wildlife Research Institute’s web site at research.myfwc.com/. Reports are generally updated on Friday afternoon. Additional information, if available, is provided on Tuesday afternoon. From the red tide report page interested parties can subscribe to receive red tide reports and other free information about specific topics of interest related to the Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. The Fish and Wildlife Research Institute will email updates related only to topics you select. You may use the same subscriber form to unsubscribe.
