Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 - (Page 26)

Cashing in on Caviar news updates CA$hINg ention sturgeon to a Floridian these days, and they might flinch. The armor-plated fish have made news recently by body-checking boaters, but the animals might soon develop a new reputation — as cash cows. Sturgeon farmers across the Sunshine State say marketable yields of caviar could begin within the next year. It’s an effort almost 20 years in the making, but could be a multimillion dollar boon in just a few more, according to the man who instigated much of the work, Frank Chapman, an associate professor of fisheries and aquatic sciences at UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences. “This year and next will show you the proof that this will be a big thing here,” Chapman said. “Soon, it’s going to be a big thing everywhere.” Historically, caviar has been harvested from sturgeon found in the wild. However, overfishing for the pricy delicacy drove populations to dangerously low levels worldwide early in the last century. While some populations have rebounded, harvesting wild caviar is still outlawed or severely restricted in many areas of the United States. “So now, we say ‘why don’t we just raise them on farms?’ And that’s what we have done,” Chapman said. The idea has its roots in California, where Serge Doroshov, a professor at the University of California, Davis, and a few of his students, including Chapman, began raising white sturgeon in the 1980s. Since then, the idea has spawned a profitable business, but one that’s limited because California law restricts species raised for commercial use to those native to that state. in on CAVIAr M “We can grow many varieties here in Florida, especially those that people want to eat,” said Ricardo Armelin, the operator of Rokaviar Sturgeon Farm near Homestead. His facility is setting up methods to process and package its first yield of highly desirable Siberian sturgeon caviar by the end of this year. Rokaviar, like several other farms, began much of its stock with fish supplied by Chapman. Collaborating with these farms, Chapman also developed husbandry techniques that help the fish mature in as little as six years — nearly four to 10 years faster than their wild counterparts. Jim Michaels, manager for Sarasota’s Mote Marine Laboratory’s Sturgeon Aquaculture Project, said his test facility has already produced two small batches of caviar. “Our hope is — and we’re well on our way — is to work over the next several years to hit 2.5 tons a year,” he said. The nature of caviar production makes upcoming yields difficult to predict. However, Chapman estimates that caviar, if well accepted by investors, could become a $100 million statewide industry in the next 10 to 20 years, which would likely make it Florida’s largest aquaculture commodity. However, the Sunshine State won’t be the only major caviar producer in the United States — at least not for long. Chapman is helping develop programs at the University of Hawaii and the University of Georgia. The growing popularity, he said, is a sign that people are starting to get the right idea about a misunderstood fish. Gulf sturgeon swam into the spotlight this summer after several incidents where the leaping fish — which can grow to 8 feet and have hard plates along their backs — collided with and injured boaters. “People hear all about these crazy fish, and they say, ‘why would you want to raise those things?’” Chapman said. “And I tell them, they are beautiful animals that give us beautiful food. Besides, they’re very nice and docile. When they swim up, I can touch them.” n – stu hutson For more information, contact frank chapman (352) 392-9617 fchapman@ufl.edu Frank Chapman holds a shortnose sturgeon at UF’s fisheries and aquatic sciences department in Gainesville. He said the fish, which is native to Florida and currently an endangered species, has ideal characteristics for culture and produces a high number of eggs — up to 30 percent of its body weight. The caviar is large, similar to preferred sturgeon species such as Beluga, Osetra and Sevruga. photo by thomas wright 26 IMPACT | Spring 2008

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008 Contents A Big Boost for Biofuels Top Priority Partnerships for Sustainable Agriculture Eliminating the Evil Weevil Invasive Pest Defeating Resistant Roaches Biodiesel Boon User-Friendly Updates for FAWN Flat-Out Great for the Grill! Laser Labeling Cashing in on Caviar Saving Water with Soil-Moisture Sensors Spotlight IFAS Development News

Impact Magazine - Spring 2008

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