Industry

Florida became a U.S. territory in 1821 and a state in 1845. Throughout the early 19th century, farmers and fishing folk immigrated to the Big Bend from other southern states to take advantage of the rich resources. By 1895, the local sponge trade ranked third in the state, employing up to 120 men. Apalachicola had a Greek sailing fleet and two sponge warehouses. When the industry moved south to Tarpon Springs, fishing became the primary livelihood.

Families from as far away as Georgia came by horse and wagon with meal, grain, syrup, and farm produce to exchange for mullet. Using hand-drawn seine nets, locals caught and split the mullet, then packed them in barrels with salt brine. Mullet runs at area seineyards were impressive in size. One eyewitness at Shell Point reported that “40 barrels of mullet were brought in with one pull of the seine.”

By the 1920s, shrimpers had shifted operations from Fernandina Beach to the Big Bend. Packing companies shipped canned shrimp to Boston and other markets and sold fresh shrimp locally. Shrimp trawlers still ply this area of the Gulf, supporting 4,400 jobs and contributing $185 million to the state’s economy. However, the industry has been impacted in recent years by the importation of less expensive shrimp.

Think about the environment

The Big Bend harbors the second largest sea grass habitat in the eastern Gulf of Mexico. Young fish and invertebrates rely on sea grasses for food and shelter. Without this important nursery ground, there would be no scallops, clams, crabs, or shrimp, and fishery industries would be much less prosperous.

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