‘We love seafood.’ Cortez festival returns to celebrate local fishing culture
The heart of Cortez has long revolved around fishing, and this weekend, that heritage will come to life at the annual Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival.
On Saturday, Feb. 14 and Sunday, Feb. 15, the Florida Institute for Saltwater Heritage (FISH) will host the 44th edition of the festival.
The family friendly event features live music, food and drink vendors, craft merchants and marine science fun, including touch tanks and educational “Dock Talks.” The Florida Maritime Museum and the Cortez Cultural Center will also be open to visitors.
This year’s festival theme is “Boat to Market.”
It’s meant to highlight the local fishing community as well as emphasize the importance of purchasing domestically sourced seafood, according to Angela Collins, a scientist with the University of Florida’s Florida Sea Grant program. She is also a member of FISH’s board of directors.
“Here in this country, we love seafood,” Collins said. “But we import a large majority of the seafood that we eat.”
Cortez festival highlights local fishing industry
As of 2023, about 80% of the U.S.’s estimated seafood consumption was imported, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Although methods for catching fish in Cortez have evolved over time, “the basic mechanisms” have remained the same, according to Collins.
In the late 1800s, fishermen would construct fiber netting equipped with rocks and shells to sink the bottom of the net, while attaching coconuts to the top for flotation. These nets helped the early fishing families in Cortez catch their main commodity, mullet.
“Cortez was built on mullet,” Collins said.
In fact, Florida as a whole seems to be built on fish. With over 1,100 different fish species present in the state’s waters, Florida has long been an attractive destination for fishers across the nation. In recent years, the state’s fishing industry has “skyrocketed,” according to a University of Florida study.
The study says that between 2018 and 2023, Floridian fish sales rose from $4 million to $26 million, a 550% increase.
Today, fishermen still use a similar catching method, although the nets are now made from different materials, such as nylon, according to Collins.
“This domestic, locally caught seafood is one of the most well managed seafood sources in the world,” Collins said.
Festival funds Cortez preserve
FISH uses all the funds raised during the Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival to restore and conserve the F.I.S.H. Preserve, a 100-acre stretch of undeveloped coastal habitat that borders the east end of the Cortez Village.
According to Collins, this preserve is the last stretch of undeveloped waterfront property left on Sarasota Bay.
“The whole point of the festival is to bring awareness to our community about the value of commercial fishing, and the value of sustaining your working waterfronts,” Collins said.
As Cortez’s fishing heritage remains a core value the area shares, Collins says she hopes the community will come out to browse “original local artwork and nautical crafts,” enjoy some locally caught seafood and even speak with the fishermen who continue this cherished legacy in the fishing village.
Cortez Commercial Fishing Festival hours and info
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 14, and Sunday, Feb. 15.
Location: The event is being held between 123rd Street West and 124th Street West in front of the Star Fish Company and the A P Bell Fish Co.
Admission: $5 per person. Children 12 and under free.
More info: Visit FISH’s Facebook page for more information.