Florida Crops and Products
Overview of Florida Seafood and Aquaculture
Seafood
Florida ranked among the top twelve states in 2011 for fresh seafood production with over 107 million pounds harvested and a dockside value of more than $223 million.
Florida fishermen catch more than 84 percent of the nation's supply of grouper, pompano, mullet, stone crab, pink shrimp, spiny lobsters, and Spanish mackerel.
One hundred percent of spiny lobster and 97 percent of stone crab are harvested in Florida.
Florida has 347 seafood processing plants currently.
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.
| Top 20 Florida Species in Dollars - 2011 | |||
| Species | Dockside Value | Avgerage Price/Pound |
Pounds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | $43,125,123 | $2.16 | 19,949,770 |
| Spiny lobster | $38,791,973 | $6.68 | 5,811,433 |
| Stone crab claws | $24,772,000 | $8.89 | 2,785,106 |
| Grouper | $19,832,731 | $2.86 | 6,933,581 |
| Snapper | $18,771,856 | $2.89 | 6,493,847 |
| Blue Crab, Hard | $11,859,193 | $1.14 | 10,440,426 |
| Mullet | $9,463,323 | $0.75 | 12,699,066 |
| Oysters | $7,851,609 | $2.79 | 2,812,157 |
| King Mackerel | $7,691,844 | $1.83 | 4,195,015 |
| Swordfish | $5,347,119 | $3.72 | 1,435,554 |
| Tuna | $4,477,374 | $3.51 | 1,273,802 |
| Spanish Mackerel | $3,056,742 | $0.78 | 3,933,967 |
| Amberjack | $1,456,943 | $1.06 | 1,370,653 |
| Golden Tilfefish | $1,322,163 | $2.55 | 518,607 |
| Dolphin | $1,251,512 | $2.25 | 557,422 |
| Flounder | $910,861 | $2.51 | 363,453 |
| Porgies | $824,520 | $1.19 | 693,340 |
| Cobia | $723,766 | $3.17 | 228,074 |
| Pompano | $664,787 | $4.51 | 147,382 |
| Sea Bass | $648,839 | $1.01 | 642,624 |
| Source: Florida Marine Research Institute | |||
| Top 20 Florida Species in Pounds - 2011 | |||
| Species | Pounds | Average Price | Dockside Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Shrimp | 19,949,770 | $2.16 | $43,125,123 |
| Mullet | 12,699,066 | $0.75 | $9,463,323 |
| Blue Crab, Hard | 10,440,426 | $1.14 | $11,859,193 |
| Grouper | 6,933,581 | $2.86 | $19,832,731 |
| Snapper | 6,493,847 | $2.89 | $18,771,856 |
| Spiny Lobster | 5,811,433 | $6.68 | $38,791,973 |
| King Mackerel | 4,195,015 | $1.83 | $7,691,844 |
| Spanish Mackerel | 3,933,967 | $0.78 | $3,056,742 |
| Oysters | 2,812,157 | $2.79 | $7,851,609 |
| Stone Crab Claws | 2,785,106 | $8.89 | $24,772,000 |
| Swordfish | 1,435,554 | $3.72 | $5,347,119 |
| Amberjack | 1,370,653 | $1.06 | $1,456,943 |
| Tuna | 1,273,802 | $3.51 | $4,477,374 |
| Shark | 975,655 | $0.45 | $434,484 |
| Porgies | 693,340 | $1.19 | $824,520 |
| Sea Bass | 642,624 | $1.01 | $648,839 |
| Dolphin | 557,422 | $2.25 | $1,251,512 |
| Golden Tilefish | 518,607 | $2.55 | $1,322,163 |
| Grunts | 478,433 | $0.88 | $419,143 |
| Whiting | 453,696 | $1.06 | $483,712 |
| Source: Florida Marine Research Institute | |||
| Florida Coastal Counties' Seafood Harvest - 2011 |
||||
| County | Pounds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monroe | 12,721,478 | |||
| Duval | 8,186,741 | |||
| Lee | 8,018,903 | |||
| Pinellas | 8,011,380 | |||
| Franklin | 7,893,069 | |||
| Gulf | 7,462,101 | |||
| Manatee | 6,617,599 | |||
| Brevard | 4,656,050 | |||
| Bay | 3,728,102 | |||
| St Lucie | 3,352,464 | |||
| Martin | 3,096,843 | |||
| Hillsborough | 2,958,462 | |||
| Charlotte | 2,599,668 | |||
| Palm Beach | 2,357,874 | |||
| Wakulla | 2,210,022 | |||
| Dixie | 1,933,477 | |||
| Okaloosa | 1,873,499 | |||
| Miami-Dade | 1,845,627 | |||
| Taylor | 1,831,427 | |||
| Florida Coastal Counties' Seafood Harvest - 2011 |
||||
| County | Pounds | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Citrus | 1,819,339 | |||
| St Johns | 1,799,913 | |||
| Volusia | 1,739,675 | |||
| Nassau | 1,615,222 | |||
| Escambia | 1,590,444 | |||
| Collier | 1,423,423 | |||
| Levy | 1,181,294 | |||
| Hernando | 1,104,303 | |||
| Broward | 1,015,002 | |||
| Indian River | 948,201 | |||
| Putnam | 631,244 | |||
| Pasco | 630,790 | |||
| Clay | 409,920 | |||
| Santa Rosa | 141,616 | |||
| Sarasota | 79,013 | |||
| Flagler | 62,748 | |||
| Jefferson | 55,048 | |||
| Walton | 39,969 | |||
| Source: Florida Marine Research Institute | ||||
Marine Life Harvests in 2011
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 2011 Florida harvested almost 9 million individual tropical ornamentals with an estimated total value of over $2.9 million.
| Florida Marine Life Harvests - 2011 | ||||
| Species | Number Landed | Average Price (Each) |
Estimated Value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Snails | 2,810,812 | $0.14 | $391,875 | |
| Crabs | 2,244,821 | $0.22 | $485,714 | |
| Shrimp | 1,699,724 | $0.19 | $318,175 | |
| Sand Dollars | 1,556,755 | $0.08 | $130,708 | |
| Conchs | 103,449 | $0.18 | $18,767 | |
| Anemones | 93,053 | $0.82 | $76,297 | |
| Live rock | 66,536 | $2.45 | $163,320 | |
| Urchins | 49,170 | $2.25 | $110,574 | |
| Anemones, Corrallimorphs | 41,784 | $2.45 | $102,573 | |
| Octocorals | 28,942 | $3.52 | $101,780 | |
| Starfish | 28,473 | $1.37 | $39,074 | |
| Seahorses | 24,761 | $2.20 | $54,378 | |
| Plants | 21,822 | $2.06 | $44,876 | |
| Angelfish | 21,089 | $13.82 | $291,436 | |
| Scallops | 18,462 | $0.69 | $12,804 | |
| Gobies | 16,971 | $2.44 | $41,476 | |
| Sponges | 14,927 | $4.06 | $60,551 | |
| Sea cucumbers | 12,848 | $1.03 | $13,187 | |
| Jawfish | 11,377 | $3.52 | $40,035 | |
| Nudibranchs | 11,067 | $1.47 | $16,287 | |
| 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.
The Florida aquaculture industry is surveyed every five years.
| Florida Aquaculture Product Sales - 2007 | |||
| Products | Producers | Net Sales | Percent of Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tropical Fish | 203 | $32,100,000 | 52 |
| Clams and Oysters | 130 | $15,200,000 | 24.6 |
| Alligators | 13 | $6,800,000 | 11 |
| Other Food Fish | |||
| Hybrid Striped Bass | |||
| Tilapia | |||
| Sturgeon | -- | $3,400,000 | 5.5 |
| Crustacean Products | 17 | $2,500,000 | 4 |
| Catfish | 54 | $979,000 | 1.6 |
| Sport and Game Fish | 31 | $622,000 | 1 |
| Bait Farms | 5 | $71,000 | 0.01 |
| Total | $61,672,000 | ||
| Source: United States Department of Agriculture | |||
| Florida Alligator Inventory, By Type | ||||
| 2006 | 2008 | 2010 | 2011 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Producers | 14 | 13 | 15 | 10 |
| Total Alligators on Hand | 56,300 | 118,766 | 99,728 | 86,293 |
| Brood Stock | 11,800 | 6,011 | 14,453 | 7,964 |
| Hatchlings | 20,600 | 50,974 | 64,990 | 17,776 |
| All Other | 33,900 | 61,781 | 20,285 | 60,553 |
| Source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission | ||||
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Contact Us About Florida Seafood and Aquaculture
Division of Marketing and Development
Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing
The Collins Building, Innovation Park
2051 East Dirac Drive
Tallahassee, Florida 32310
Martin May
(850) 617-7280
(850) 617-7281 Fax
Martin.May@FreshFromFlorida.com
