July 15, 2024 — Commercial fishing is vital to Florida’s culture and identity. Today, Florida fishermen like me land $209 million worth of fish and shellfish in dock-side value alone. The economic impact of the commercial fishing industry ripples up the supply chain generating $8.7 billion. Hundreds of millions of tourists travel to Florida to enjoy fresh seafood in the Sunshine State.
Critical to Florida’s seafood economy is a steady (and growing) supply of fresh, domestic fish and shellfish.
The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) “Status of the Stocks” report that was recently released would have you believe that everything is rosy. In some isolated cases, it may be – fishermen should be proud when their sustainability efforts pay off. When overfishing is reduced, fish stocks rebuild, and more fish support more fishing businesses and seafood dinners.