Local Fisherman Clean 2600 Pounds of Grouper in Preparation for the Seafood Festival
Over the holiday break 16 local fisherman got together and cleaned 2600 lbs. of grouper to get ready for the 13th annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival. After about five and half hours, they had 800 pounds of beautiful, local grouper fillets ready to be battered and served January 13 and 14 at Bayview Park. The fish will be stored at Fanci Seafood until the event. The fish carcass are recycled as crab trap bait thereby promoting the sustainability cycle. Over the next two weeks the fisherman will also prep 1200 lobster tails, 550 pounds of stone crab and 110 gallons of conch chowder and lobster bisque soup.
The Seafood Festival is a fundraiser that supports vital sustainable fisheries management programs on both State and Federal levels. Admission is just $5, kids under 12 free, and provides an entry to win $250 basket of seafood. The fisherman members of the Florida Keys Commercial Fisherman’s Association are invested in having an environmentally responsible event and work closely with our partners to plan and implement a weekend which reflect green event best practices. The festival incorporates environmental considerations to minimize impact including reduction of waste, water and energy, using local suppliers and locally sources products whenever possible and providing education about environmental impacts. The event is pedestrian and bicycle friendly, encouraging guests to walk or ride. We employ green methods offering biodegradable service ware, recycling bins/trash sorts and reusable bags and donate any leftover food.
Seafood is sustainable when the population of that species of fish is managed in a way that provides for today’s needs without damaging the ability of the species to reproduce and be available for future generations. When the consumer buys fish managed under a U.S. fishery management plan, they can be assured it meets 10 national standards that ensure fish stocks are maintained, overfishing is eliminated, and the long-term socioeconomic benefits to the nation are achieved. Florida fishermen are required to follow federal and state laws when harvesting seafood and members of the FKCFA proudly support these efforts.
According to the Department of Commerce’s Fisheries Economics of the United State Florida’s commercial fishery is second in the nation in terms of sales, income and value-added impacts and is third in the nation with number of jobs supported by commercial fishing. The members of the FKCFA invite guests to enjoy the Florida Keys Seafood Festival January 13 and 14 at Bayview Park and experience first-hand what our fisherman and their families contribute to our community.
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