While directing the Marine Science Academy for the Escambia County School District I had students conduct small, informal, surveys targeting the popularity of seafood with students, parents, and the community. The purpose of these surveys was to kick start a discussion on the commercial fishing issue. The northern Gulf Coast has been known for several popular seafood products over our history; oysters, blue crab, mullet, snapper to name a few. There are two basic paths a commercial fishery can move as they grow their business. Fish for what they know and is easily harvested and convince the public to purchase – marketing. OR they can find out what the public wants and then develop a fishery to target those species. Hopefully they will find common ground; something that is available, easy to harvest, and popular with the public.
There are about 80 species of commercial seafood products that come from Florida. Photo: Florida Sea Grant
In those surveys we looked at young and old, male and female. A couple of trends became apparent over the 20+ years we conducted these (remember, low level high school survey… but still interesting). (1) Shrimp was the no.1 favorite with all groups. That’s good, shrimping in the northern Gulf is a do-able product – many will say the best shrimp comes from these waters. But we also know that shrimping has hit hard times; more on this next week.
(2) With males No.2-5 are typically fish, with females it varies from fish to calamari, to sushi, to other. Popular fish of course are grouper and snapper… and we all know the issues with these target species in our area. There are lesser known fish with the general public, though many locals know, such as sheepshead, tilefish, pompano, that are not typically on menus. And of course a local favorite… mullet. With the mix request beyond fish include squid, crab, sushi grade fish, lobster, and others. Some of these are not common in our area and must be transported in. For many where the fish comes from does not really matter – for others it does (more on this in our last addition this month). But as you can see this type of information plays a role on how the seafood business works in the northern Gulf.
(3) The first question on the survey was “do you like seafood?” Of course if the answer was no then it was not necessary to ask further questions. The trend we saw over time was more and more stating they did not like it. Curious… I mean there are things I do not like either – so there is no problem not liking seafood – but we were curious as to why… so we added that to the survey. Our thought as we began was seafood safety. At the time much of the seafood landed was sold at a wholesale or retail market with little or no inspection – did this concern folks? In our survey we found that in most cases it did not. They just did not like the taste… fair enough.
Shrimping. Photo: NOAA
What do the bigger surveys say? In 2014 an article was posted in the Wall Street Journal discussing this issue and what other surveys found. (1) There was a decline consumption. In 2012 Americans consumed an average of 14.4 lbs of seafood/person. This was down from 15.0 lbs in 2011 and 16.6 lbs in 2004. For comparison, at that time Japanese consumed 120 lbs/person/year and Spain consumed 96 lbs. To compare this with the “big three” at that time Americans consumed 46 lbs of pork, 57 lbs of beef, and 82 lbs of chicken/person/year. Chicken is king… it is a white meat, Americans are trying to eat healthier, but fish is a white meat… so why not fish?
The surveys indicated the top reasons were
Do not know how to cook
The price of seafood is high
Marketing – the seafood industry is fragmented and marketing efforts on the healthy benefits have not happen (or if done, were not done as well as the focused effort of the chicken industry).
To a lesser extent there was concern over safety (particularly mercury) and some concern about genetically modified farm raised fish (salmon in particular was mentioned). Members of the chicken industry highlighted the cost of production for seafood as a barrier for them. It cost more to go to sea and harvest seafood (or raise salmon in ocean pens) than it does to produce the “big three” on farms.
The crab of choice in the northern Gulf of Mexico; blue crab. Photo: FWC
This year Florida Sea Grant published an article in the September issue of Florida Trendson this issue. Sea Grant pointed out that currently the national consumption of seafood is up to 15 lbs and that Floridians consume 31 lbs/person/year… so there is a trend upwards since the Wall Street Journal’s 2014 article. However 40% of Floridians do not consume 2 servings a week (as suggested by the U.S. Department of Agriculture).
We can state that seafood is healthy for you and it is safe to consume (check out Florida Sea Grant for more on this). What I am finding is that there is a small group of locals now concerned with whether the seafood they are consuming is coming from local fishermen. We will discuss more on these topics in later editions.
Yea, seafood… who doesn’t like seafood… actually, based on a small scale survey I conducted with marine science students over the last 28 years I have found a slight increase in the number of those who do not. Curious about this, I followed up by asking whether their concern was seafood safety or other. Almost all said they just did not like the taste. Okay… I can take that… there are something I do not like either BUT I LIKE SEAFOOD. The survey also showed that almost every year with young/old or male/female – shrimp was at the top of their favorite list. After shrimp the next 3-4 choices for males was some type of fish. For females it varied – fish, lobster, calamari, to name a few.
Shrimping depends on healthy estuaries. Photo: NOAA
So what does this have to do with estuaries…
Well, you may not know this but 90% of the commercial important marine species require estuaries for at least part of their life cycles. Just as humans select a neighborhood to live and raise their kids based on safety and schools – “fish parents” find everything they want for their “kids” in an estuary. They are shallow – allowing light to reach much of the bottom where submerged plants, like seagrasses, can grow. These seagrasses provide hiding places and a place for small algae to attach – which is an important food source for many of them. There are other places for them to hide as well – emergent salt marshes and oyster reefs are biologically very productive habitats. Many of the developing larva and juveniles require lower salinities to begin and complete their life cycles; venturing to the open Gulf only when they have developed a tolerance for the higher salinities. The freshwater discharge not only lowers the salinity it also brings nutrients. These nutrients, along with the sunlight reaching much of the water column, produce an abundance of microscopic plankton – food for the young. The nutrients, thermal mixing, low salinities, and variety of habitats provide a combination for one of the most biologically diverse ecosystems on the planet – a great place to grow up… and much of it we enjoy eating.
Most of what we consume in the seafood world is divided into shellfish and finfish. Some of it is harvested and sold commercially, some we collect recreationally. In the shellfish world we are talking mollusk and crustaceans – two of the most popular seafood groups on the planet. The mollusk include snails, oysters, clams, mussels, scallops, and cephalopods like squid and octopus. Many of these species live in our estuaries their entire life cycle. Most are slow moving creatures – if they move at all – and have provided a living for some humans, recreation for many, for decades – though the landings of these species are on the decline… more on this in a later issue.
Oysters are one of the more popular shellfish along the panhandle. Photo: FreshFromFlorida
Crustaceans include the ever popular gulf shrimp. We actually have three different species of bay shrimp we like – white, brown, and pink shrimp. There are other varieties found offshore we are now consuming, but these have been the big three. Blue crab – my personal favorite – is another popular crustacean. Though these are still harvested commercially, “crabbing” with your kids is a long time popular panhandle activity – and the day always ends well with a great meal. Crustaceans are more mobile and conduct small migrations during their life cycles. Shrimp develop within the estuary and then move offshore for breeding where the incoming tide brings the larva back to the estuary. Blue crabs migrate to the head of the bay for breeding and the females return to the lower end of the estuary for egg development and larva release – they may enter the Gulf during this process but tend to stick to the bays for the entire cycle.
The famous Gulf Coast shrimp. Photo: Mississippi State University
In the finfish world we are talking drum, snapper, grouper, trout, whiting, mullet, flounder, sheepshead, and many more. These species have provided both a living for the commercial fishermen and recreation for families for years. Many species breed and grow within the estuary while others make trips in and out of the bay to complete their cycles. In addition to commercial and family recreation charter fishing has increased as a business along the Gulf coast.
One of the more popular finfish – the grouper. Photo: Bay County Extension, UF IFAS
We hope you and your family enjoy local seafood from our bays. There are several websites and apps, such as Seafood@Your Fingertips, that can help you locate local seafood – or you can go catch some yourselves! If harvesting recreationally be reminded that there are regulations and licenses required. You can read more about those at MyFWC.com.
Nature has provided us with an incredible resource in the diverse assemblage of molluscan shellfish that inhabit our coastal bays and estuaries. One bivalve species in particular provides many human benefits. The eastern oyster (Crassostrea virginica) has not only proven to be a preferred food species for people but also derives many vital ecosystem services through its existence in our near-shore estuaries. Oysters are born as planktonic larvae that drift in the water for about 2 weeks. They are called a spat when they settle out of the water column and glue themselves to a suitable hard surface, such as another oyster shell, and begin to grow their own shell. Oysters feed on particulates in the water throughout their life and when mature can filter as much as 50 gallons per day. Because of this life style they provide some degree of water purification and improvement in water clarity. The structure of an oyster reef is also a valuable habitat component which provides shelter for a plethora of small creatures that support a vast food web in the estuary ecosystem.
Oystermen participate in shelling program for Apalachicola Bay
Barges will also be used to relay shells for replenishing oyster habitat.
Although we have several native species of oysters in the Gulf of Mexico the eastern oyster is the only species that supports a commercial industry. in Florida, the bulk of that industry has traditionally been centered around Apalachicola Bay in the mid-Panhandle region of the state. This one estuary system typically produces 90 percent of the state’s oyster crop and 10-13 percent of the nation’s harvest. Some good harvest years have yielded 4-6 million pounds of oyster meat (shells excluded) from this single bay. In recent years however there has been a dramatic decline in oyster abundance. The industry, along with concerned natural resource managers, is seeking to rebuild numbers to a sustainable harvest level. The reasons for this precipitous drop in numbers is the subject of much debate but savvy natural resource professionals believe a combination of factors have been involved over several years to cause the current situation.
Fossil oyster shell being relayed to bay bottom.
So, how do you bring back a thriving oyster industry from the brink of collapse? Several factors need to be considered and addressed as part of a holistic management approach. At the present time there are two primary mechanisms being employed to support increased oyster recruitment to Apalachicola Bay. The first involves “planting” a suitable material on the bay bottom for oyster spat attachment and growth. In the past this has primarily consisted of oyster shells from the shucking plants. More recently the industry has been employing the use of fossil shell material from a local mine. Oystermen are being employed to transfer the shell from land-based loading areas to the designated deposition sites in the bay. Funding is also forthcoming to allow shelling by barges to cover more area. The other strategy to assist with recovery has involved the use of regulatory authority in consultation with local experts and oystermen with decades of experience on the bay. This approach can reduce the harvest pressure on oysters and support a more rapid recovery, given proper conditions in the estuary. Bag limits have been reduced, enforcement has been stepped up to ensure compliance with the rules, and harvest areas have been adjusted.
Oystermen line up early to receive shell for relay project.
There are, of course, other important aspects to the solution for bringing back the thriving industry of the past and many of them relate to natural cycles of drought and flooding. Increasing human demands for water from the river system that feeds the bay tend to magnify the effects of natural drought cycles. If salinity remains high for longer periods there is an increased pressure from oyster predators that typically are limited by lower salinity. Factors related to oyster diseases and parasites are also in the mix. To say that it is a complicated situation would be an understatement. Researchers who have studied the system for their entire careers find it difficult to quantify the problems and solutions for this large, complex natural ecosystem that has been an important cultural and economic component of Florida’s makeup since early humans roasted or cracked open the first oyster. Hopefully, with enough concerned partners working towards effective management strategies we can once again enjoy in abundance the wholesome, delicate morsels that have been called the food of the gods.
Oysters on the half shell ready to eat! Photo Courtesy of Florida Sea Grant
Making oysters a healthy and sustainable seafood choice is the goal of oystermen and seafood dealers across the nation and the state of Florida. New education programs for the oyster industry went into effect January 1, 2014 and were implemented by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) this past spring. FDACS oversees oyster resources and seafood dealer certification.More information about FDACS division Aquaculture can be found at http://www.freshfromflorida.com/Divisions-Offices/Aquaculture .
As our fall harvest areas reopen, many local oystermen are now viewing a new 25 minute video which is now required along with a Commercial Saltwater Products License to harvest oysters commercially. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) issues licenses for both commercial and recreational oyster harvesters and enforces laws related to harvesting. More information regarding proper licensing can be found online at http://myfwc.com/license .
All harvesters can do their part to insure seafood safety by following important harvesting guidelines. These include time and temperature protocols in the collections and transportation of shellfish to the dealer or home. Also important, are harvest boat safety, condition, and sanitation practices. Protection of oyster resources through proper culling and following the 3” inch size limit is important to creating sustainable oyster resources. The new video provides this education and an Oyster Harvester Training Certificate for commercial harvesters is available to those who watch the video at the following FDACS and UF/IFAS Extension Offices by appointment:
FDACS Field Offices:
Melbourne Office: 321-984-4890
Port Charlotte Office: 941-613-0954
Cedar Key Office: 352-543-1084
Tallahassee Office: 850-617-7600
Apalachicola Shellfish Center: 850-653-8317
UF/IFAS Locations:
Bay County: 850-784-6105
Franklin County: 850-653-9337
Santa Rosa County: 850-623-3868
This harvesting and training information is also appropriate for recreational harvesters even though it is not required.
Seafood safety is of interest to everyone,including harvesters, seafood dealers, and consumers. Each year there are a relatively small number of serious cases of foodborne illness as result of shellfish consumption. Often illness is a result of poor choices made by consumers. Consumption of raw oysters or other shellfish is not recommended for individuals with compromised immune systems. Poor immune systems are often the result of liver-disease or when chemotherapy treatment is used. Patient diagnosed with diabetes, iron overload disease, and HIV/AIDS are also advised not to consume raw shellfish.
New research also suggests another risk group are patients with acid reflux and digestive issues. Some over the counter and prescription medications, including antacids and proton pump inhibitors, increase stomach pH which allows more potentially harmful bacteria to survive ingestion, leaving patients at a higher risk for a variety of foodborne illnesses. The best advice is to consult your doctor if you have questions about whether consuming raw shellfish is appropriate for your health concern. Cooking is also a tasty way to safely prepare and enjoy shellfish. For additional guidance please visit http://safeoysters.org .
The commercial and recreation stone crab season has opened! Now is the time to enjoy local stone crab claws. Whether you catch them yourself or buy from a local seafood market, the delicious meat is worth the effort and cost.
There are 2 species of stone crab found along the Gulf Coast. The Florida Stone Crab is found in the southern part of the state, while the Gulf stone crab is found from the Western Panhandle to Mexico.
Stone crabs can be found in holes along oyster reefs, rock jetties and shorelines lined with riprap. Adult stone crabs feed on oysters, mussels, clams, worms and other crustaceans.
Recreational harvesters must have a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing licence and are limited to 5 traps that meet the specifications set by FWC. Maximum trap size is 2″x2″x2″ and traps must have a degradable panel that is 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches and is made of cypress or untreated pine slat no thicker than ¾ of an inch. These regulations are to protect marine life from ghost fishing, when traps are abandoned or lost.
The recreational bag limit is one gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel or which ever is less. Only one crab claw should be taken. Crabs are released alive with one claw intact and are able to feed and defend themselves, which allows the crab to be caught again in the future. The claw that was removed will grow back each time the crab molts. Claws must be 2 3/4 inches in length from the tip of the claws to the first knuckle.
Photo credit FWC
Watch the following video from FWC to learn how to harvest a claw correctly without injuring the crab.
Stone crab claws can be enjoyed cold or hot, in the shell or peeled and in many different dishes. Enjoy stone crab claw meat with mustard dipping sauce, in soup and bisque, crab cakes, salads, etc. Many recipes can found on-line.
Use a butter knife, mallet, claw cracker or hard spoon to crack the shells. If you want to prevent shell from flying around, cover the hand that will hold the claw or the surface that the claw will be cracked on with a dish towel. Gently tap the sections of the claws, until they are cracked, be careful not to break the shell into the meat.
Check out this video to learn how to crack stone crab claws:
For more information on commercial and recreational stone crab claw regulations click here.
Oyster Boats on Apalachicola Bay Photo by Erik Lovestrand, UF/IFAS Franklin County Extension Director
A notice has been issued by the California Dept. of Public Health dated June 27 that is seeking public comment on a proposed rule change regarding the allowable level of microbial Vibrio vulnificus in post-harvest processed Gulf oysters.
Post-harvest processed oysters are regulated as raw, but have been subjected to a process to reduce levels of Vibrio vulnificus. The current rule states that levels must be less than 3 MPN/g (Most Probable Number/gram) whereas the proposed change would allow a critera of less than 30 MPN/g of Vibrio vulnificus. Restrictions regarding raw Gulf oysters harvested during April through October that have not undergone post-harvest processing to reduce Vibrio vulnificus will remain in place.
This change would bring California’s molluscan shellfish regulations into alignment with standards adopted by the National Shellfish Sanitation Program of the U.S Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Interstate Shellfish Sanitation Conference (ISSC). All other member states of the ISSC have already adopted the less than 30 MPN/g standard in post-harvest processed oysters.
This newer standard has been deemed safe since it has been in use from 2005 with no documented Vibrio vulnificus infections associated with raw oysters processed at the less than 30 MPN/g level according to FDA data. This change is anticipated to increase the amounts and varieties of post-harvest processed oysters imported into California from Gulf states.
If you would like to see materials regarding this action you may access them here. Inquiries about the proposed regulations may be directed to Pat Kennelly, Chief, Food and Drug Branch, Food Safety Section, at (916) 650-6598.
Article Author Contact:
Erik Lovestrand
UF/IFAS Franklin County Extension Director
Sea Grant Regional Specialized Agent II
653-9337
