Feature
Story
Water, Water
Everywhere …
Maritime
industries and water-based businesses are everywhere in
Tampa Bay.
By Jay Winchester
Those of us who live in Tampa Bay appreciate the beauty
of the water near which we live and work. From the Gulf
of Mexico to the Bay itself to the rivers, lakes and
streams that dot our area, Tampa Bay is truly a water
wonderland, providing many options for recreational
activities and improving the area’s quality of life.
Still, it’s rare when someone asks this question: What
about the economic impact of all that water? When it
comes to Tampa Bay’s waterways, is the economic glass
half-empty…or half-full? A tour around the Bay regions
offers some fascinating insights that help define the
right answer to this question.
When examining the economic impact of water on Tampa
Bay, the first logical place to look is the Port of
Tampa. One of three ports in the region - the Port of
Manatee and the St. Petersburg Port are the other two -
the Port of Tampa is the largest and most active in the
state. Over the last fiscal year, the Port of Tampa
handled 48.1 million tons of cargo, with petroleum,
coal, steel, vehicles and phosphate among the top
commodities moving in and out of the bay. The Port’s top
five trading partners, countries contributing the bulk
of the sea traffic moving through the Port, are, in
order: Mexico, India, Canada, Trinidad and Colombia.
China and Japan are also active shipping partners. Of
the cargo being transported on those ships, 24% of it
are imported goods and 15% are exports; 61% are domestic
goods and 39% are foreign; and 97% of the cargo is
defined as bulk, while 3% is defined as general cargo.
Products and goods aren’t the only heavy traffic items
moving through the Port of Tampa. People pass through,
too. Last year, approximately 910,633 cruise passengers
made their way onto cruise ships belonging to Carnival
Cruise Lines, Holland America Line and Royal Caribbean
International. They departed for popular destinations in
Central America, Mexico and the Caribbean via Tampa’s
cruise terminal located in the Channelside district.
Combine the movement of people and goods, along with the
fact that the Port of Tampa features the Southeast’s
largest ship repair facilities, and the Port accounts
for some 96,000 related jobs. The Port of Tampa
contributes nearly $8 billion to the Tampa Bay economy.
South of Tampa, Port Manatee, the Florida port closest
to the Panama Canal, is also busy. In 2006, 9.3 million
tons of goods passed through that port. Port Manatee
accounts for close to 22,500 jobs. It’s estimated that
Port Manatee contributes $2.3 billion to the economic
health of Manatee County.
Across Tampa Bay, the St. Petersburg Port is redefining
itself. Its limited depth of 23’ doesn’t allow it to
accommodate the larger cruise ships that frequent the
Port of Tampa. Still, with a 1999 Master Plan that is
currently under review, the port hopes to accommodate
smaller cruise ships. It is also looking at the
possibility of transforming into a mega-yacht facility,
intended for ships ranging in size from 150’ to 200’. A
ferry service is also being discussed, although possible
destinations are unclear.
However, technology might be the answer for enlarging
the St. Petersburg Port’s contribution to Tampa Bay’s
economy. In 2006, SRI International, a global leader in
independent research and technology development
headquartered in Silicon Valley, selected St. Petersburg
as the base for its new Marine Technology Research and
Development Facility. The aim of the center, a
collaborative effort between SRI International and the
University of South Florida’s College of Marine Science
and Center for Ocean Technology, is to accelerate
research and development of technologies related to
ocean science, the maritime industry and port security.
It is estimated that the new facility, called SRI St.
Petersburg, will pump $172 million into the Tampa Bay
economy. SRI International’s reputation might well draw
other high-tech firms to Tampa Bay.
Still, our water-based economy isn’t just about big
business. Our beaches draw countless visitors who sit on
our warm sands and view the gorgeous sunset vistas
nature displays nightly. Eco-tourism is growing as a
specialized niche all along Tampa Bay waterways from
Manatee County to Hernando. Countless companies rent
canoes and kayaks to people who want to tool around the
coastlines watching waterfowl or chasing the elusive
manatee. Gift shops and restaurants also reap the
benefits of being near the water. Recreational
activities, which run the gamut from parasailing to
waterskiing to waverunning to fishing, abound. And there
are countless entrepreneurs making a living helping
others indulge in their favorite activities while
indulging in their own. According to the National Oceans
Economic Program (NOEP), there are 3,834 establishments
in Tampa Bay counties that are directly related to
maritime industry in some form or another.
One such company is CB’s Saltwater Outfitters, located
on Siesta Key and owned by Aledia Tush, who has been
active in her business for 31 years. CB’s specializes in
several areas of water-based sports and activities. It
rents powerboats, runs fishing charters, takes fishermen
out on the Gulf for deep sea challenges and offers
guided waverunner tours. CB’s stresses water safety and
courtesy, ensuring a safe, family-oriented outing for
many. “I’ve always loved the water and the beaches,”
says Aledia, who hails originally from Virginia. “Our
business is a little down this year, but we are still on
target to match last year’s numbers.” There’s a flash of
entrepreneurial spirit: Business might be down, but my
business is doing something I love, so my business is
good.
Here in Tampa Bay, boating is big business. Just in
Pinellas County alone, gross sales for motorboats,
yachts and accessories topped $500 million in 2006, up
$27 million from 2005. Again according to NOEP, Tampa
Bay area ship and boat builders contributed $118.4
million to Florida’s Gross State Product (GSP), a state
version of the national Gross Domestic Product. Many of
those boats were used for fishing, bringing some 21.8
million pounds of fish with a value of $54 million.
Catching fish isn’t the only profitable business.
Raising fish does quite well here, too. According to the
Tropical Aquaculture Laboratory (TAL), located in Ruskin
and part of the University of Florida’s Department of
Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, there are approximately
90 fish farms in the region, with the bulk of them being
located in Hillsborough County. These facilities
specialize in growing over 800 varieties of freshwater
fish, 200 varieties of freshwater plants, and an
increasing number of marine fish, invertebrates, and
live rock.
It is a very profitable business. These farms average
$23,614 per acre in sales. In 2005, fish farms accounted
for $33.3 million in the sale of tropical fish and $17.6
million in the sale of ornamental plants, totaling a
whopping $50.9 million in farm gate sales, defined as a
transaction taking place at the farm itself. In fact,
tropical fish and plants are the number one air freight
commodity leaving Tampa International Airport, with
between 20,000 and 30,000 containers of fish being
shipped every week. It is an interesting fish story, and
one with a happy ending…so far. Craig Watson, the
Director at TAL, sums up the state of the industry by
saying, “We’ve lost a few farms over the last two or
three years due to a variety of factors. These include
the hurricanes, the spread of retail and residential
development taking over much of the open land, the
competition from foreign sources, and the consolidation
of retailers like Wal-Mart and others. Still, it is a
very healthy industry.”
The same can be said for much of the maritime industry
in and around Tampa Bay. It is comforting to know that
the same waters that bring us all so much beauty and
pleasure also contribute to the economic health of our
region. As to the question of whether or not our
economic glass is half-full or half-empty, it seems that
neither is the right answer. That cup is filled to
overflowing with healthy businesses helping to drive a
healthy economy.
back to top |
