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.

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 Seafood Hotline

Seafood lovers who are confused about the availability of Florida seafood products due to the Gulf oil spill can now get daily updates about the ongoing commercial harvest.  The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services has implemented a new toll-free hotline at 1-800-357-4273 to provide consumers with current information about the status of Florida's open and closed fishing harvest areas, the availability of seafood varieties, and general pricing information.

The information that is available by calling the hotline will also be posted online at the Department's seafood web site www.fl-seafood.com where consumers can also find links to other pertinent web sites including the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. Webcams placed at various coastal locations and in retail establishments will be added to the web site later. 

source: FDACS

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.