I Conch farm opens in Key West

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I
Conch farm opens in Key West
By c.c. HEMINGWAY
Entertainment
Columnist
KEY WEST - Conch Republic
Seafood Company's long~awaited
Conch Farm Research and
Education Center in Key West is
finally open to the public. The
grand opening party, held Sept 27
at the new facility behind the
restaurant at 631 Greene St., was
a splendid event. The reception
featured several dishes prepared
exclusively for the occasion such
as conch lasagna, conch stuffed
mushrooms and a conch seviche
which was out'of this world.
"In the future mariculture and
aquaculture are going to be the
place we'll have to turn to for
food,"
said Dean Rollings,
founder of the organization.
"According
to the United
still considered "rollers." When
Nations, in 20 years the rest of us
will look like China does now and
farmed they can be harvested at
any time.
the thing they can't' figure out is
how to raise enough protein to
. "What we've done," Rollings
sustain the population. The way 'said, "is designed a closed,
things are going we can only look
renewable system. High density
to the ocean and the reason we're
mariculture produces a lot of polfocusing our research on conch is . lutants that contaminate the
that it's the highest source of prowater, so we're finding systems
tein that comes from the sea."
that will put the water back in better than it comes out."
They are also looking at mutton
snapper, flounder, sturgeon and
A higher quality food has also
been
developed by Dr. Bob
snook; determining what, animals
can be raised in a cultured enviGlazier at the Florida Marine
Research Institute with the
ronment. Tilapia is already being
Conservation
and
Wildlife
farmed successfully.
They're
growing tilapia in warehouses in
Commission. They're experimenting with different nutrients, measNew York City and serving fresh
fish in the restaurants there.
uring growth rates to determine
Conch, at the bottom of the
the optimum diet. Diet also affects
food chain, is an excellent candithe taste of the meat as well as
the color of the shell.
date for a large foocVsource to
"I have a small interest in a
feed the masses. It has positive
conch farm down in Turks and
cholesterol, no saturated fats, and
no known viruses or bacteria
Caicos" Rollings said, "and one of
once the animal is mature. It
the things they do there is to grow
the animals in concrete tanks,
ranges
from Venezuela
to
which stunts their growth substanBermuda and the opportu.nities
for farm-raising are extensive.
tially. Here we're experimenting
with different kinds of bottoms
Conch, which grazes on algae
from glass to shell/coral and coral
exclusively, is not a bottom feeder; so there's a high quality of
sand from the Keys. It will help us
meat with relatively low contamito determine the best nursery
nants.
conditions. "
There are six different species
"Last year we began placing
tanks into the classrooms in the
that live in the Caribbean, but the
queen is .the most popular. Some
school system to be nurtured by
other varieties like the hawkswing
the children," Rollings said. "It
that grow really quickly and are
gives us an opportunity to talk
_oativ..e_to...these_waterS-8re-being
about-\Nater-quaHty--vVAi
!eoMovvc! rc
marketed as escarg~t. There are setting up the tanks. The kids get
to learn about the ecology, about
many varieties that grow at vary.ing rates and taste differently.
endangered species; and then as
When harvested at the peak of the
the,year comes to an end and the
shell size they're considered
conchs grow up, they also get to
sweet and crunchy. Once they
go out and re-stock them in the
mature, however, the shell starts
water, so Theyhave an active parto get thicker, not larger, and the
ticipation in the whole process.
animal gets more compressed.
The project has been voted best
The meat gets tough. Optimum
field trip in Key West."
maturity is 3-4 years while they're
Placing the tanks and educat-.
ent@aolcom.
Dean and DeAndra Rollings are shown in
photo at left. Above is a Queen Conch out
of her shell.
Mama DeAndra Rollings. a
long-time friend Dr. Megan Da\
Hodgkin from the Harbor Bran
Oceanographic Institute.
ing the kids has been a co-operative effort. Everyone's involved;
Founder Dean Rollings, Hatchery
Manager Bob Morrow, Conch
Key West
Key Lime Shoppe
www.~~liMe.~hop.VOM
1-800- ~1'~-080~
200 Elizabeth Street
305
«A-L..L..
nt, N~S
296-0806
K~Y L..'M~)'
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107 Fitzpatrick St.
KINO PLAZA
Key West
(305) 294~5044
For~Fresher-5'eQfooa;-You'ir
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Not Valid
other
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Person
PerOffers,
Visit
One
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THE INDEPENDENT
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Happy Hour M-F '4p-7p
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Located 2 blocks off Duval
1631 www.conchrepublicseafood.com
Greene St., Key West 294-4403
...JI
OCT. 18-24, 2000
•
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