A First Look at Florida Aquaculture 1 Jerome V
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. CIR702 A First Look at Florida Aquaculture 1 Jerome V. Shireman and William J. Lindberg2 Foreword change as technical, regulatory, or economic conditions change. We encourage you to use this This Extension circular is a revision of the publication simply as an introductory guide on your Florida Aquaculture Plan submitted to the Florida way toward making fully informed decisions about Legislature by the Commissioner of Agriculture in Florida aquaculture. accordance with the Aquaculture Policy Act of 1984. That plan, originally drafted within IFAS Department Jerome V Shireman of Fisheries and Aquaculture, was prepared by the William J. Lindberg Florida Aquaculture Review Council and the Aquaculture Interagency Coordinating Committee. May 1985 Participants in these groups are acknowledged on page I, and we sincerely thank them for their many Introduction contributions. Florida's semitropical climate, long coastline, and The purpose of this circular is to educate citizens abundant water supplies in certain areas make it an about aquaculture in Florida, its current status, and its ideal state for aquaculture. State law defines prospects for future development. In contrast to the aquaculture as the cultivation of animals and plant life state plan which emphasizes what government in a water environment (Chap. 253.67 (1) F.S.), agencies should do to facilitate aquaculture which implies that the organisms are grown in water, development, this bulletin concentrates on general the natural habitat of the organisms is water, and some information of interest to persons considering entry part or all of their life cycle or culture period is into aquaculture. Much of the information has been influenced or manipulated by man. The degree to provided by cooperating industry leaders, in addition which the life cycle and environmental needs of an to being taken from university and government organism are controlled by the culturist may range reports. Assertions made in this publication about the from simply relaying coon oysters for grow-out on a risks or future prospects for a given type of leased site to artificially maintaining fish from egg to aquaculture reflect professional opinions of persons harvestable size in a tank. Aquaculture may be contributing to the Florida Aquaculture Plan, and may undertaken to produce food and fiber (both plants and 1. This document is Circular 702, Department of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, Florida Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida. First published September 1986. Revised February 1996. Reviewed March 2000. Please visit the EDIS Web site at http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu. 2. Jerome V. Shireman, Chairman, and William J. Lindberg, Assistant Professor, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Cooperative Extension Service, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, 32611. The Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer authorized to provide research, educational information and other services only to individuals and institutions that function without regard to race, color, sex, age, handicap, or national origin. For information on obtaining other extension publications, contact your county Cooperative Extension Service office. Florida Cooperative Extension Service/Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences/University of Florida/Christine Taylor Waddill, Dean. Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. A First Look at Florida Aquaculture 2 animal) for human consumption, bait and stockers for appropriate for the species to be cultured. The recreational fishing, ornamental fish and plants for the aquaculture facilities and operations must conform to aquarium hobbyist, juveniles for enhancing natural a wide variety of regulations, often involving permits. fisheries, and raw materials for energy and The products must be economically grown and biochemicals. In Florida, aquaculture could be effectively marketed. And of course, the life cycles of considered as an alternative use of land that was the desired species must be subject to an adequate previously unsuited for traditional agriculture or as a amount of control under practical aquaculture highly intensive, diversified crop for small conditions. This booklet will give you an introduction landowners. Aquaculture is not a new industry . Asian to such considerations, an overview of species with and European fish culture systems h-ave existed for aquaculture potential, and additional sources of centuries. Although aquaculture is a large and growing information. industry over much of the world, it is relatively new and undeveloped in the United States. U.S. production Florida Natural Resources contributes only about 2% of worldwide aquaculture Florida's climate and natural resources are well yields. In 1975 U.S. production reached 65,000 metric suited for aquaculture when such ventures are selected tons and with proper support should reach one million to match prevailing local conditions and to tolerate metric tons by the year 2000 (National Research infrequent environmental extremes. For instance, mild Council, 1978). Private aquaculture produces over winter temperatures with only sporadic freezes enable 40% of U.S. oysters, most U.S. catfish and crawfish, the tropical fish industry to flourish in the nearly all rainbow trout, and small quantities of Tampa-Lakeland-Bradenton and the Miami areas. several other species. Mild spring and autumn temperatures contribute to The outlook for the U.S. aquaculture industry is early spawning and a long growing season. Thus, encouraging for several reasons: 1) wild fish stocks tropical fish farmers produce several crops per year. are finite and declining because of over fishing and On the other hand, high temperatures and low loss of habitat, 2) fish imports to the U.S. have dissolved oxygen in south Florida ponds during increased, and 3) world demand is increasing as per summer could be impediments to commercial catfish capita consumption of fish is increasing. During the production there. Warm springtime water past 20 years, per capita consumption of seafood in the temperatures, however, allow early spawning so that U.S. has increased almost 25% and is predicted to Florida fish farmers can produce fry and fingerling increase at an average rate of 3,4% annually. stocks earlier than other U.S. farmers. Aquaculture in Florida is currency a valuable Florida has seasonally abundant water supplies, industry but traditional food species do not contribute especially in the north central portion of the state. The substantially to it. Specialty items such as tropical fish Floridan Aquifer provides abundant ground water of and ornamental aquatic plants are important to the high quality in some areas. In many areas, spring Florida economy. Florida is the only state where large water from the aquifer is abundant and might be amounts of these products are grown. Aquatic plants developed for aquaculture pursuits. For example, the generate between 3.5 and 5 million dollars annually, National Fish Hatchery at Welaka receives all of its while the annual retail value of Florida tropical fish water from Blue Springs. Spring water is of high exceeds 75 million dollars. quality and has a constant temperature of 70-74°F (21-23°f). Surface water is also plentiful, and in Florida's aquaculture potential has not been many areas high water levels combine with soils that realized. Culture facilities to produce food fish, plants, hold water all year round to make aquaculture and recreational fish have not been fully developed. practicable. The tropical fish industry centered near Nevertheless, individual aquaculturists, or persons Tampa uses ponds of this type. Lowlands of central contemplating entry into this business, must carefully and north central Florida could be developed in a consider all of the elements needed for profitable similar manner. The soils of the Florida panhandle aquaculture. Available natural resources must be Archival copy: for current recommendations see http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu or your local extension office. A First Look at Florida Aquaculture 3 contain considerably more clay, and in these areas Sea farming means farming the seas' coastal perched ponds are used. margins, bays, and estuaries, where nearly 90% of the world's food fish spawn, mature, and get captured The In areas with abundant water supplies and soils conditions which make mariculture attractive to a with limited water-holding capacities, intensive given coastal area are the same conditions which culture systems could be utilized. This might apply to make the area attractive for people to live and play. mariculture adjacent to high energy beaches, where Conflicts among competing users are a significant seawater could be drawn in and filtered through the threat to the development of aquaculture along the beach system, e.g. Marineland. However, economic coastal zone. The most significant public issue is constraints would likely prevail in such settings. whether or not an individual should be allowed to privately own (lease) and make a profit from a The diversity of conditions encountered commonly held natural resource such as the sea. This throughout Florida dictates that a given aquaculture will involve basic changes in the legal and regulatory venture