Blue Crab
Blue Crabs -- Background Information
Historically, the Florida blue crab has been an important economic link to the well-being of many coastal and island communities for many generations. The economic value can be seen along the waterfront and beyond. Watermen steer boats burning fuel bought at local pumps, from docks where boat slips are rented. On board, they carry necessary gear and safety equipment. Watermen purchase fishing licenses and boat insurance, pay dock fees and keep their boats in shape.
Off the water there are those who work on the docks, in the packing and picking houses, and on trucks that carry live, steamed and pasteurized products to various locations including restaurants eagerly awaiting the arrival of fresh crabs. In the past the region’s fishermen have kept the local crabbing industry going. But a flood of cheap imported crab meat, much of it from Asia, has put the pinch on Florida blue crab fishermen and processors.
Pasteurized Asian crabmeat from the blue swimming crab is being imported to the United States and sold for less than blue crab. This abundance of imported meat has squeezed out many blue crabbers, who can't match the lower prices. Foreign countries now dominate the U.S. blue crab market, having captured 70 percent of the national market share, while domestic blue crab represents only 30 percent.
Concerned about this alarming trend and its economic implications on the local crab industry, the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services is working hard to increase public awareness of the value of Florida blue crab. The goal is to promote the superior quality and premium taste of Florida blue crab and the importance of supporting your local economy.
The Florida crab fisherman still presses on with his tried and true method of capturing the crustacean and delivering fresh blue crabs to your table. Hard work and dedication are what keep the industry afloat. The summer and fall months prove to be the most productive and when Florida blue crabs are abundant.
Blue crabs are one of the few animals harvested and eaten in two stages of their life, when the exoskeleton is hard and also when it is soft. Blue crabs are commercially harvested by traps. Hard crabs are sold alive for steaming at restaurants, festivals or family gatherings. They are also sold to picking houses. Most crab meat continues to be extracted by manual labor. Picking houses tend to become busy near the end of the summer season, when crabs are plentiful and fat.
Crab meat is available fresh and pasteurized as lump, backfin, special, claw and cocktail claw. Soft crabs are eaten in their shells, legs, claws and all with only the eyes, mouthparts and gills trimmed off. They are a special delicacy, usually served broiled, sautéed or fried.
Almost 80 percent of crabs harvested commercially are caught using baited crab traps called pots. They can be used for catching both hard crabs and "peelers” (crabs about to shed). Peelers are kept in circulating water tanks or floats and watched closely until they shed, when they are plucked out and sold as soft shells.
There is no better time to enjoy Florida blue crab. You can affect an immediate and positive change for our Florida crab industry by insisting on authentic “Fresh from Florida” blue crab. Be sure and looking for the “Fresh from Florida” label on pasteurized or frozen blue crab meat containers and on menus in restaurants. So whenever you shop or dine, ask for Florida true blue crab by name.
For more information about Florida blue crab visit, www.FL-Seafood.com.
For more information:
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Bureau of Seafood and Aquaculture Marketing
(850) 488-0163
