Public statements have recently been made that the commercial fishing industry in Monroe County is “dying.” We would like to respond to this. The Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association (FKCFA) Board of Directors is confident about the future of Monroe County’s marine resources and the industry continues to cooperate on efforts to improve them. From a management perspective, we can assure the public that the county has a growing and sustainable seafood industry.
The Florida Keys is surrounded by a seafood gold mine, and over the last two decades, the County has maintained its spot as one of the top ten most valuable ports in the Nation. With 360 federally permitted fishing boats, the Florida Keys is home to the largest commercial fleet from Texas to North Carolina. Over 80% of the spiny lobster harvested in the state of Florida is caught in Monroe County, making commercial fishing the county’s second primary industry. The commercial fleet supports approximately 1200 families, which is close to 5% of the county’s population. Stock Island alone lands 7 million pounds with a dockside value of 24 million dollars; that’s 5% of Florida’s total landings and 13% of total value. In 2006, Monroe County was ranked the fifth most valuable port in the nation with a dockside value of approximately 54.4 million dollars. This figure does not include retail sales, profits made by wholesalers who marketed seafood products worldwide and the millions of dollars self sustaining “ice boats” earn on shrimp they catch off Key West and land in the ports around the Gulf. It’s reasonable to predict that seafood and related industries earned upwards of 70 million dollars.
The downward trend in pounds landed and numbers of fishermen is part of a natural progression which occurs when a largely unregulated industry begins to be regulated. Although there is a downward trend in the number of active licenses, and pounds of product landed, it would be too simple to suggest that commercial fishing is a “dying” industry. Regulations were only introduced in the last 20 years, and many were needed to address overfishing and rebuild stocks. In terms of poundage, the fleet’s last 7 years have been more productive than the 80’s but marginally less productive than the 90’s. Historically, Monroe County has had the biggest fishing fleet in the southeastern US, so some consolidation is inevitable. Downward trends are also due to a variety of factors such as more stringent regulations, increased operating costs, competition with imported products, variable weather patterns/ hurricanes and loss of commercial waterfront.
Seafood is a renewable natural resource. Every year, our fleet harvests responsible amounts of seafood which allows for stocks to rebuild themselves. Most of our commercially important species are not overfished, including shrimp, lobster, stone crab, kingfish, Spanish mackerel, red grouper, mangrove, yellowtail and mutton snappers. In addition, 80% of our commercial fisheries have been recognized as “environmentally responsible” by the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Marketing Program. FKCFA is also championing an effort to define “sustainable fishing practices” which will conserve habitat and stocks for future generations.
These facts confirm that Monroe County’s commercial fishing community is a significant part of our economy. Aside from the money that it generates, our commercial fleet is one of the last standing symbols of this county’s heritage. FKCFA can assure the County’s citizens, and its commercial fleet, that our seafood industry is not “dying”; on the contrary, it is a dependable and renewable industry.
Sincerely,
Scott E. Zimmerman MS.c
Executive Director