Florida Largemouth Bass Aquaculture

Largemouth Bass

At their March 2022 meeting, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) Commissioners approved rules to allow for the production and sale of Florida largemouth bass as a food product.

Statutory changes made during the 2021 legislative session sanctioned the sale of Florida largemouth bass produced in aquaculture facilities for food.

FWC staff worked with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) to ensure continued genetic conservation of Florida’s iconic freshwater game fish.

Key points from the approved rule language include:

Allow for the culture and sale of Florida largemouth bass as a food fish.

• Incorporate FWC’s Genetic Authentication Standards for Florida largemouth bass into rule by reference.

• Require any shipment of live bass in Florida to be accompanied with documentation required by FDACS and FWC.

• Prohibit the importation into or transportation within the state of any live bass species, except permitted Florida largemouth bass that meet FWC’s largemouth bass Genetic Authentication Standards.

Prior to presentation of the draft rules at the December Commission meeting, staff held four public meetings and solicited online comments from stakeholders.

Both angling and industry stakeholders attended meetings and their combined input was taken into consideration and utilized during the rule drafting process.

More information about the rule can be found by visiting MyFWC.com.

Largemouth Bass Facts:

The largemouth bass is the best known and most popular game fish in North America.

The Florida largemouth bass is the state freshwater fish of Florida.

The Florida state record for largemouth bass is 17.27 pounds.

Two subspecies of Largemouth Bass are recognized; Florida Bass (Micropterus s. floridanus) and Northern Largemouth Bass (Micropterus s. salmoides).

Florida bass tend to grow much larger than the northern largemouth bass. 

Most U.S. states prohibit the sale of wild-caught largemouth bass for food.

2013 Florida Spiny Lobster Seasons

The 2013 Florida commercial and recreational lobster season starts Aug. 6 and runs through March 31. Regular spiny lobster  lobster harvesting is preceded by a two-day spiny lobster recreational season July 24 and 25.

The two-day sport season occurs on the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July each year (July 24 and 25, 2013). Commercial fishermen may begin putting their traps in the water Aug. 1, and recreational and commercial fishermen may harvest spiny lobsters starting Aug. 6.

source: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Gulf of Mexico Shrimp Species

Gulf Shrimp

Several species of warmwater (penaeid) shrimp are found in Gulf of Mexico, including white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), brown shrimp (Farfantepenaeus aztecus),  pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum), royal red shrimp (Pleoticus robustus or Hymenopenaeus robustus), and rock shrimp (Sicyonia brevirostris).

Gulf shrimp are harvested from Florida to Texas. According to NOAA's Fisheries Economics of the United States 2009, Gulf of Mexico shrimpers averaged $409 million in landings revenue from 2000 to 2009.

During the period, shrimp was the most valuable catch for fishermen in Alabama, West Florida, Louisiana, and Texas. Louisiana fishermen landed the most shrimp, exceeding 100 million pounds annually.

Declines of gulf shrimp landings and values during the period were due to falling ex-vessel prices.

Roughly 68 percent of of the shrimp harvested in the USA comes from the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival

The Florida Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival will be held at the South Florida Fair Grounds in West Palm Beach, FL on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, September 16-18, 2011.

The event features healthy delicious seafood. Savor all the traditional side dishes, beverages, desserts and comfort foods as well. To work off that stuffed feeling, you can browse and shop the expanded nautical and maritime vendor booths.

Local Florida bands will provide two days of live, continuous music as visitors search for bargains and enjoy healthy delicious seafood.

The South Florida Fairgrounds is located at 9067 Southern Blvd West Palm Beach, FL with easy access from the I-75 and the Florida Turnpike. There is plenty of free parking.

Visit the Florida Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival website for more information:

www.FLNauticalFleaMarket.com

2nd Annual Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival

The 2nd Annual Palm Beach Marine Flea Market and Seafood Festival, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, February 11-13, 2011, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the centrally located South Florida Fairgrounds, West Palm Beach Fl. The event will be held outside in the parking lot facing Southern Blvd, a West Palm Beach main thoroughfare.

Admission $7.00 a day

Senior Citizens $5.00

Children 12 and under FREE

Special three day pass $12.00

for more information, visit: http://www.flnauticalfleamarket.com/

2011 Indian River Nautical Flea Market and Seafood Festival

The 2nd Annual Indian River Nautical Flea Market and Seafood Festival will be held on Saturday and Sunday, January 15-16 2011, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Indian River Fairgrounds, Vero Beach, Fl.

The show will feature roughly 400 nautical and marine vendor booths, used Boats, seafood, music with continuous live reggie and island music, boating and fishing seminars, workshops and demonstrations.

The Marine Nautical Tropical Themed Arts and Crafts show will offer a wide range of artists, vendors and other displays.

2010 Florida Cedar Key Seafood Festival

For 2010, the 41st Annual Cedar Key Seafood Festival will be held at Cedar Key City Park on October 16 and 17. The festival celebrates the area's fishing heritage with two days of seafood, music, and fun.

The festival features a variety of booths selling local seafood. Cedar Key church groups, school clubs, nonprofits, and oyster and clamming associations are expected to serve fresh grouper sandwiches, oysters, clams, clam fritters, crab cakes, smoked mullet, and all the trimmings. The festival also featured over 200 arts and crafts exhibits, live music, and a parade on Saturday morning.

The historic Seahorse Key Lighthouse is hosting an open house on both days of the festival. The lighthouse is the oldest still standing on Florida's west coast. Visitors can tour the lighthouse, look at the exhibits, and explore the island, which is part of the Cedar Keys National Wildlife Refuge.

The Cedar Key Seafood Festival takes place Saturday and Sunday, October 16 and 17, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. each day.

For information, contact Thelma McCain at (352) 543-5436 or visit www.cedarkey.org/events.html

source: FDACS press release

Florida Shrimp Harvesting Re-opens

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will reopen state waters offshore of Escambia County to the harvest of shrimp at 12:01 a.m. on August 17, 2010.

The FWC had temporarily closed this area to the harvest of fish, shrimp and crabs on June 14 as a precautionary measure due to possible effects of oil from the BP Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

Florida Spiny Lobster Season Opens

The commercial fishery for spiny lobster in Florida waters will open Friday, August 6, 2010. The season is set to close as usual on March 31, 2011.

Florida Stone Crab Claw Season Ending

The season for harvest, possession and sale of stone crab claws in Florida closes May 16, 2010. This closure occurs each year to help protect and sustain Florida's valuable stone crab resource. Florida's stone crab season will reopen October 15, 2010.

University of Florida 2010 Shrimp School

The University of Florida will hold its 15th Shrimp School, May 11th-13th, at the UF campus, in Gainesville, FL. The school is dedicated to advancing shrimp product quality and safety, and has become the leading academic based domestic and international training program for shrimp processors, buyers and regulators worldwide.

This technical program features current and basic topics through lectures and actual hands-on training. The 2010 program will feature: decomposition and filth by FDA, proper use and detection of moisture control additives, product development, sustainability, third party audits, regulatory updates and more.

For more information about Shrimp School 2010, please visit http://shrimpschool.ifas.ufl.edu Questions can be addressed to Laura Garrido at shrimp@ufl.edu or 352-392-1991 ext 308.