SRQ Daily Columnist Christine Robinson the executive director of The Argus Foundation.

Chances are good that over Labor Day holiday, you contributed to what’s called the blue economy.

Whether you went fishing with the kids, enjoyed time at the beach or just ordered mullet at a local eatery, you were part of a multi-billion-dollar industry vital to the well being of our community. 

While our region depends heavily on the $11.8-billion economic impact of the Sarasota Bay, research shows that additional attention focused on our natural blue resources could result in exponential returns on our investment. 

At the recent Meet the Minds luncheon, hosted by The Argus Foundation and Science and Environment Council, an experienced panel highlighted this essential community dialogue while linking the importance of the environment to business and our economy. 

This relationship is also being explored by Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s BIG Initiative, which has issued a recent report with notable facts.

For instance, 90 percent off all seafood in the United States is imported. Here on the Sunshine State peninsula, Florida buys $2.6 billion of seafood from overseas and imports more aquaculture food products than any other state.  Why is this when we have the Gulf of Mexico at our doorstep?

Fishing generates more than $7 billion in Florida’s economy, but fish sticks served in school cafeterias are first caught in Alaska, processed in Asia and re-imported to the U.S.

Furthermore, why do 50 percent of Sarasota County students who qualify for free or reduced-cost lunch often go hungry when we could easily raise more seafood from the oceans right in our own backyard?

We live in a state with the second longest coastline in America, yet Florida ranks 12th in seafood production.

Mullet roe from fish caught in the historic fishing village of Cortez in Manatee County is exported to Asia or Europe for as little as $10 per pound but is reimported to restaurants in the U.S. for upwards of $100 per pound. The leftover mullet, much of which could have been used, is then thrown overboard, much to the chagrin of local restaurateurs like Ed Chiles, who watch in disdain as the dead unused fish wash up on our shores.

Great minds at organizations like GCCF, Mote Marine Laboratory and Aquarium, SCOPE and The Science and Environment Council are challenging these norms, asking important questions and making great strides in finding the answers. Answers that promise to enhance our blue economy both locally and statewide and could serve as an example around the country. As residents of this beautiful and unique coastal community, however, we can make a difference as well.

It’s as easy as enjoying mullet, its bottarga, and oysters or clams native to Florida on your next visit to your favorite seafood restaurant. That small step of eating more regionally harvested seafood drives local economic opportunity.

This is one of the many local initiatives and public private partnerships collaborating on maximizing our heritage resources from the sea.

SRQ Daily Columnist Christine Robinson the executive director of The Argus Foundation.