Florida - A Leading Producer of Farm-raised Clams in the
Nation
Clam
farming is a relatively new agricultural industry in the Sunshine State.
Attempts to culture clams originated along the east central coast of Florida
during the early 1980s. Fluctuating wild clam harvests in the Indian River
prompted harvesters to investigate the potential of aquaculture as an
alternative supply source to natural stocks. Marine research institutions
in the area assisted by adapting culture techniques to subtropical conditions.
At the same time, state-funded educational programs introduced the general
public to the prospects of shellfish culture. During the 1990s the
industry began developing on the west coast of Florida, primarily through the
efforts of job retraining programs. A transition to shellfish aquaculture
as an alternative employment opportunity for the fishing industry was the focus
of these community-level, federally-funded programs. Over 350
underemployed oyster harvesters, as well as net fishermen put out of work by the
net limitation in 1995, were trained in clam culture technologies. In
addition, shellfish aquaculture leases were identified, surveyed and marked,
allowing for placement of program graduates onto farm sites.
Currently,
the emerging industry supports more than 450 clam growout operations on about
1700 acres of state-owned submerged lands off nine coastal counties. The
warm waters and high natural productivity levels found in Florida create a
superb environment for growing clams. As a result, clam production has
increased dramatically over the past 15 years. This fact is reflected in
the aquaculture surveys conducted every other year by the
Florida Agricultural Statistics
Service, which documented that production reached 142 million clams in 2001.
Corresponding farm gate, or dockside, sales also increased, with the value in
2001 reported at $18 million. Florida has also become a leading producer
of cultured clams in the nation. This claim is based on the first ever
aquaculture census conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture during 1998,
in which Florida ranked first in volume in the national survey. More
importantly, clam farming has brought economic revitalization to many coastal
communities and has allowed its citizens to continue making a living off the
water.
In
addition to the number of growout business, an infrastructure has developed in
support of the clam farming industry. About 15 hatcheries and 90
land-based nurseries located throughout the state produce and rear seed for
growers. Other spin-off businesses include seamstresses making clam bags,
boat builders specializing in clam work skiffs, manufacturers producing
harvesting and processing equipment, and other suppliers. Over 50
shellfish wholesalers purchase clams from growers, add value, and distribute
product to markets through the nation. The industry also provides local
employment such as processing plant workers and truck drivers. Thus the
economic impact of this industry is much larger than the above dockside sales
figures. The contribution of cultured clam sales was recently assessed to
be $34 million to the state's economy, making clam farming an important
agribusiness.
Clam
farming is a relatively new agricultural industry in the Sunshine State.
Attempts to culture clams originated along the east central coast of Florida
during the early 1980s. Fluctuating wild clam harvests in the Indian River
prompted harvesters to investigate the potential of aquaculture as an
alternative supply source to natural stocks. Marine research institutions
in the area assisted by adapting culture techniques to subtropical conditions.
At the same time, state-funded educational programs introduced the general
public to the prospects of shellfish culture. During the 1990s the
industry began developing on the west coast of Florida, primarily through the
efforts of job retraining programs. A transition to shellfish aquaculture
as an alternative employment opportunity for the fishing industry was the focus
of these community-level, federally-funded programs. Over 350
underemployed oyster harvesters, as well as net fishermen put out of work by the
net limitation in 1995, were trained in clam culture technologies. In
addition, shellfish aquaculture leases were identified, surveyed and marked,
allowing for placement of program graduates onto farm sites.
Currently,
the emerging industry supports more than 450 clam growout operations on about
1700 acres of state-owned submerged lands off nine coastal counties. The
warm waters and high natural productivity levels found in Florida create a
superb environment for growing clams. As a result, clam production has
increased dramatically over the past 15 years. This fact is reflected in
the aquaculture surveys conducted every other year by the
In
addition to the number of growout business, an infrastructure has developed in
support of the clam farming industry. About 15 hatcheries and 90
land-based nurseries located throughout the state produce and rear seed for
growers. Other spin-off businesses include seamstresses making clam bags,
boat builders specializing in clam work skiffs, manufacturers producing
harvesting and processing equipment, and other suppliers. Over 50
shellfish wholesalers purchase clams from growers, add value, and distribute
product to markets through the nation. The industry also provides local
employment such as processing plant workers and truck drivers. Thus the
economic impact of this industry is much larger than the above dockside sales
figures. The contribution of cultured clam sales was recently assessed to
be $34 million to the state's economy, making clam farming an important
agribusiness..jpg)
