01/18/2016
START is very pleased to announce that it is part of the Healthy Earth Partnership that just won the Gulf Coast Community Foundation’s $375,000 Challenge to develop a meaningful environmental project that also provides a positive economic and social impact to the local community. The project is based around developing a more sustainable approach to catching and processing our native grey striped mullet so that the entire fish is used from lip to tail. The program will involve doing the necessary research to gain a full sustainable certificate from the Marine Stewardship Council (SEC) that is important in gaining product distribution in select food stores like Whole Foods and Publix.
The focal point of the project is a new state-of-the-art fish processing plant slated to be built in Manatee County that will enable mullet to be efficiently processed into more by-products than just the current primary use of its roe for caviar or bottarga. The Healthy Earth processing plant will expand the use of the fish beyond its roe to a source of fillets for restaurants and markets, fish feed for aquaculture and Omega 3 oil for the pet and veterinary trade. The plant will also be designed to process our popular local Sun Ray Clams for distribution to new major markets.
