Crustaceans

Multiple species of crustaceans are cultured in Florida, such as white shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus), pink shrimp (Farfantepenaeus duorarum), Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei), Malaysian prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and Australian red claw crawfish (Cherax quadricarinatus).

Licenses and Permits

If you are interested in culturing crustaceans for commercial use, you must apply for an Aquaculture Certificate of Registration and comply with Aquaculture Best Management Practices [ 714.5 kB ] .

If you plan to process and sell your products for human consumption, you must obtain a Food Permit.

Restricted Species

Restricted species are nonnative species that require special authorization from the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS) or the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) if you wish to produce them commercially or possess them for research or public exhibition.

Restricted species are not authorized for personal use.

Commercial production of restricted species requires:

• An Aquaculture Certificate of Registration,
• Compliance with Aquaculture Best Management Practices [ 714.5 kB ]  (BMPs) and
• A Restricted Species Authorization letter from FDACS. (Email Serina.Rocco@FDACS.gov for more information.)

Restricted Crawfish

Three species of crawfish are listed as restricted:

• Australian red claw (Cherax quadricarinatus),
• Red swamp crawfish (Procambarus clarkii) and
• White river crawfish (Procambarus zonangulas)

Commercial culture is limited to tank culture in an enclosed structure.

Australian red claw is the only species of the genus Cherax available for culture in Florida. All other species of the genus Cherax are prohibited.

Additional BMPs

Producers of restricted species must meet additional BMPs, including more stringent requirements for containment, sales and records. BMPs for restricted species include the following: 

• Restricted species cultured outdoors (when permissible) must be held in a water body that has the lowest point of the top edge of its levee, dike, bank or tank at least 1 foot above the 100-year flood elevation issued by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
• There must be effective measures to prevent theft of restricted species.
• All holding, transport and culture systems must consist of a solid construction and be designed to prevent escape of all life stages of the restricted species and deter predator access.
• Restricted species may be taken on a fee or for-hire basis using hook and line or rod and reel as long as anglers are accompanied by the facility operator or employee and no live animals leave the facility with persons that do not possess a Restricted Species Authorization or Conditional Species Authorization for the particular species.
  • Nile perches (Genus Lates, all species including barramundi) shall not be taken on a fee or for-hire basis using hook and line or rod and reel.
• Live sale or transfer of restricted species and their hybrids is limited to those authorized by FDACS or FWC.
• All records of live restricted species purchases, sales and transfers must be maintained and available for inspection for a period of at least two years.

Aquaponics

The Malaysian prawn and the Australian red claw are commonly included in commercial aquaponics systems. Aquaponics is an aquaculture system in which wastes produced by farmed aquatic animals supply nutrients for hydroponically grown plants, which in turn purify the water.

FDACS regulates commercial vegetable production. If you plan to produce herbs, leafy greens or other vegetables aquaponically, these regulations may apply to you.

Technical Assistance

For aquaponic production information, visit Florida Sea Grant's Aquaponics: Growing Fish and Food website.