Webinar Recording: "Florida's Grouper Fisheries"

Did you know that Florida fishermen harvest over 80% of the nation's grouper supply? Want to learn more?Today my colleagues and I held our 2nd Florida Seafood Safety and Sustainability Brown Bag Webinar session. The presentation, "Florida's Grouper Fishery," discussed  grouper ecology, provided an overview of  how the fishery is managed, and shared tips and resources on being a more informed consumer about Florida grouper products. To view the webinar click on the link below

 GROUPER WEBINAR RECORDING 

(You might get a message that blocks you from downloading the webinar; you will need to click on "allow" to let your computer download the presentation)

To view past webinar presentations from the Florida Seafood Safety and Sustainability Brow Bag Webinar Series visit: http://miami-dade.ifas.ufl.edu/environment/sea_grant_seafood.shtml

To make sure your computer is compatible with Elluminate Live, go to: http://www.elluminate.com/support/index.jsp and work through steps 1 and 2.
If you have connection problems, please contact Ron Thomas with UF/IFAS distance education at
http://icsde.ifas.ufl.edu/contact-us.shtml

We want to hear what you think!

To help us improve future webinars, we would greatly appreciate your input by completing a short online evaluation about the presentation. https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/7GPFFRT

Don't forget to sign up for our future sessions (see the schedule below) If you have any questions, feel free to contact me!

Presentation on Climate Change Impacts on Florida's Coasts and Oceans

This morning I gave a presentation on climate change to a group of adults who are apart of the Hodges University's Frances Pew Hayes Center for Lifelong Learning

My presentation was adapted from the Florida Ocean and Coastal Council's Report entitled, "The Effects of Climate Change on Florida's Ocean & Coastal Resources."
The report was created  "to provide a foundation for future discussions of the effects of global climate change on Florida’s ocean and coastal resources, and to inform Floridians about the current state of scientific knowledge regarding climate change and how it is likely to affect Florida. It provides important information for legislators, policymakers, governmental agencies, and members of the public who are working to address, or who are interested in, issues related to climate change in Florida"

I have found it to be well-vetted, trustworthy resource that addresses Florida climate change issues in a well-balanced and easy to read manner for lay audiences. I refer to it often when  asked about Florida and climate change. If you would like to learn more you can access the entire report by visiting:
 http://www.floridaoceanscouncil.org/reports/Climate_Change_Report_v2.pdf

Collier Sea Grant Extension at the 3rd Street Farmers Market in Naples

For the past several Saturdays I've been setting up shop at the 3rd Street Farmers Market in Naples. The Collier County Extension office has a booth there, and all of agents and I rotate to work the booth each Saturday from December through May. We've had a booth there for at least the past three years, and it has a been a successful outreach project. We are able to share resources and provide advice to both residents and visitors who visit the market on a wide variety of subjects. In addition to an agent, there is also a Master Gardener present to answer plant and gardening questions.

When I'm at the market, I bring lots of fishing and seafood-related resources and answer questions on a variety of topics such as the use of circle hooks and dehooking tools, local fisheries and wildlife, mercury in fish and the pros and cons of farm raised vs. wild caught seafood. By far, the number one question I get is about fishing licenses and regulations. I find that many of the shoppers, both resident and visitor, are unfamiliar with who is required to have a fishing license, and what the latest changes to the fishing regulations are.

Besides answering questions, I also use the farmers market as an outlet to promote my upcoming outreach programs. Lately, I've been talking up my Seafood Seminar and Sampling Tour that takes place March 10th. For details, click here.

Captain Kirk's Stone Crabs of Naples
is a regular patron at the 3rd St.
Farmers Market.

The popularity of farmers markets continue to rise, and they are a great way to buy fresh, locally produced/harvested products and support area businesses. The 3rd Street Market, like many markets has several vendors selling  seafood. Below are some tips to help ensure you purchase fresh products, and that you protect yourself from possible contamination.

• FRESH SEAFOOD SHOULD NOT BE FISHY: Use your senses. If the products you want to buy have overpowering strong "fishy" odors, they probably aren't as fresh as they should be. Choose something else!
• KEEP YOUR SEAFOOD COLD: If you plan to shop around for awhile at the market, purchase your seafood last so that it remains cold especially during warmer periods. If this can't be avoided, bring a cooler or ask the vendor for bags of ice to ensure your seafood stays cool. Spoilage can rapidly occur if seafood is not properly cooled. Once your seafood makes it home, be sure to store it in the coldest part of the fridge to help maintain freshness.
• KEEP YOUR SEAFOOD CLEAN: Wash your seafood under cold running water and pat dry with a clean paper towel before cooking to help wash away any excess bacteria that might have accumulated from the time of purchase. Also, keep your seafood away from other raw or cooked products (and vice versa) to help avoid possible cross-contamination.
• KEEP YOUR SEAFOOD MOVING: Seafood experts recommend eating most freshly-purchased seafood within 36 hours of purchase unless you plan to freeze it. Shellfish such as clams or oysters can be kept of several days if properly refrigerated. These recommendations help ensure maximum freshness!!!

To read more about recommended safe seafood handling practices for consumers click here!

See you next week at the market!!!!!

Use and Benefit of Dehooking Tools

These days, because of regulations, it's almost a guarantee that if you catch fish, you will most likely have to release some of them because of a closed season, size limit, or bag limit restriction. Although catch and release fishing has proven to be a valuable conservation tool, simply releasing a fish back in the water does not guarantee its survival. Anglers must consider how their actions will affect the health and well-being of their catch if they cannot keep it. Where a fish is hooked, how it is handled before and during hook removal, and how long it is kept out of the water all play significant roles in its post-release survival.

A dehooking tool is a simple device that anglers of all ages can use to greatly increase the chances that their released fish survive. The use of a dehooking tool to remove embedded hooks can help alleviate some of the stresses and physical damage associated with catching and handling a fish. In addition, they help protect anglers from sharp hooks, spines, and teeth.

There are several types, styles and manufacturers of dehooking tools available on the market. Although costs vary, an angler can expect to pay on average between $8 and $20. Some tools have been more extensively field tested by researchers and industry than others and meet National Marine Fisheries Service’s minimal design standards.
Many anglers use pliers to remove hooks from fish, but long-shafted dehooking tools that can grab the fishing line, slide down it, and remove the hook quickly and safely are recommended because they require minimal to no handling of the fish. Furthermore, with long-shafted dehooking tools, a fish can generally be dehooked without removing it from the water, thus minimizing air exposure and further stress to the fish.
Some dehooking tools are specifically designed to remove deeply swallowed hooks in addition to external lip or foul hooks. Instructions for removing deeply swallowed hooks may differ slightly from tools that only remove external hooks. Consult with the manufacturer and/or salesperson for instructions. If you gut hook a fish and do not have a dehooking tool that can properly remove deeply swallowed hooks or are not comfortable using one, cut the leader as close to the hook as possible. The hook will eventually rust out and/or the fish will be able to expel it.

Using a dehooking tool is a relatively simple process even for novice anglers, but may require some practice to ensure it is done correctly. If you are not comfortable with using a dehooking tool, you can practice on a fish model or corrugated cardboard box before using it on a real fish. Always dehook a fish over water and never in the boat or on land as this can increase the likelihood of injury when the fish falls. In either situation, the less time the fish is kept out of the water, the less stress it will endure.
As a reminder, anglers targeting reef fish in state and federal waters of the Gulf and Atlantic are now required to use dehooking tools. To find out more about these regulations, and learn more about proper fish handling practices visit http://catchandrelease.org/

To see a video of me using a dehooking tool visit:
http://www.youtube.com/user/flseagrant#p/a/u/1/xwx6D1LAXoE

An expert opinion of when the Gulf of Mexico will return to pre-spill harvest status following the BP Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill

A question that has and will be on the minds of many Gulf of Mexico residents is when will the Gulf completely recover from last year's Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Of course, there's not a simple answer to this question as there are many ecological, economic, and social factors that contribute to the outcome.
I was recently sent an interesting report entitled, "An expert opinion of when the Gulf of Mexico will return to pre-spill harvest status following the BP Deepwater Horizon MC 252 oil spill" which attempts to provide an initial repsonse to this omnious question. It is written by Dr. John W. Tunnel, Jr of the Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies at Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi. Of particular interest to me are the findings relating to the impact of the spill on the Gulf's fisheries.
 Its important to note that even in the report it mentions,   "As Dr. Wes Tunnell has noted in this opinion, establishing a recovery date or time is more difficult than determining the impact from the spill itself. In fact, establishing an exact recovery time is essentially impossible." To view the entire report click here.

Shrimp
In summary, if potential impact scenarios stated above have not significantly impact 2010 shrimp populations and their life cycles, it is believed that shrimp catches for the brown, white, and pink shrimp in the northern Gulf of Mexico will likely continue along the same harvest trends in recent years by 2011, and even more likely by 2012. Loss of Mississippi Delta nursery habitat could cause a percentage reduction in shrimp population size until marshes recover.

Crab
In summary, because blue crab populations do not appear to have been significantly impacted by the DWH oil spill, and because they are a highly reproductive species with widespread distribution throughout the region, it is believed that their population levels will likely continue along the same harvest trends in recent years in 2011. As noted above, some local populations may be reduced by larval impacts from the oil (or oil and dispersants) or by reduction in nursery ground coastal marshes. As indicated with shrimp, this loss of nursery habitat could cause a percentage reduction in crab population size until the marshes recover.

Oysters
In summary, it is believed that oysters in most areas of the northern Gulf will likely continue along the same harvest trends in recent years in 2011. In areas where oysters died as a result of freshwater diversion and flooding, oyster reefs should be recolonized by young oysters in 2011 (assuming there are no large scale flooding events in 2011), but they will not likely be of harvestable size until late 2012 or 2013. In areas where oyster reefs were heavily oiled, oyster reefs may not recover for 6-8, or even 10 years.

Finfish
In summary, commercial finfish are not believed to have been significantly impacted by the DWH oil spill, except with the possibility of those in the floating fish egg stage. If the fish eggs were negatively affected for certain species, then short-term, and possible long-term consequences, are likely for those species. If recruitment classes were normal in 2010, then, the fishery will likely continue along the same harvest trends in recent years during 2011.

Tips to Avoiding Fake Grouper

Grouper is one of Florida's most valuable commercial fisheries. In 2009 over 6.7 million pounds were landed in the state with an estimated dockside value of close to $18 million. Because of its economic value, popularity among consumers, and limited supply, however, grouper has also been the target of species substitution and mislabeling by some wholesalers, restaurants, and retailers in recent years. Often the substituted product is a lesser-valued fish imported from other countries. Species substitution and mislabeling is illegal! While the perpetrators who sell the product might generate economic gains in the short-run, the fraudulent act can have long-term negative consequences for the industry as well as consumers.



As seafood consumer, it is important to "know your seafood". There are several things you can do to ensure you are getting grouper you paid for and expect.



Deal with merchants that you trust.

Get to know your fish mongers and talk with them about what kind of grouper they have and where it is harvested. Any respectable business should be able to answer these questions. If still in doubt, ask to see the fish before purchasing it.

Know the appearance and texture of  grouper. 

When you see this logo
with the seafood you
order, it ensures, by
law, it was harvested in
Florida waters.

While individual species have unique identifiable characteristics, grouper is commonly described as a lean, white-flesh fish with a taste and texture, which is popular and distinct from most common white-flesh fish. Grouper fillets are usually thick with a firm texture. When you order grouper fried, it makes it harder to distinguish it from other species so take this into consideration. Also consider the size of the grouper you get.  Because of U.S. regulations, domestic grouper has to be a minimum size to harvest. If you order grouper and the whole fillet fits on your plate, its probably a strong indicator that its either not grouper or perhaps a grouper imported from another country.

Is the price right?

Buyers should be wary of grouper prices that are suspiciously low. Because the supply of domestic grouper is limited, the price is generally around $11 to $13 per pound wholesale fillet value, and the retail value -- the price paid by consumers -- will be even higher. Prices that are considerably lower likely mean that the fish is not grouper, but instead is a substitute species of lesser value, such as basa or Asian swai.

Report Fraudulent Acts
If you suspect the grouper you are purchasing isn't really grouper, report it! Remember, species substitution and mislabeling is against the law! To learn more about species substitution and how to report possible violations visit:

http://www.fl-seafood.com/consumers/grouper_substitution.htm










 

2011 Naples Seafood Seminar and Sampling Tour- March 10th

I'm happy to announce the 2011 Naples Seafood Seminar and Sampling Tour. If you love eating seafood and want to learn more about balancing health benefits and risks, sustainability issues, and being a more informed seafood consumer, this is the program for you!

click on the image to enlarge