Congratulations to the winners of our $250 Seafood Raffle!
Luke from Wisconsin and Janice from Michigan
TICKETS FOR SALE AT GATE
The FKCFA plays an active role in strengthening our community by supporting both short-term and long-term initiatives for our members. These efforts include scholarship programs, seafood festivals, grant funding for special projects, educational opportunities, and a strong commitment to environmental responsibility through trap design research and cleanup programs.
Florida Keys Commercial
Fishermen‘s Association
Our Mission
Protecting the Industry. Preserving the Future. FKCFA exists to unite Florida Keys commercial fishermen into a strong, effective voice that protects our industry, advances sustainable fishing practices, and preserves our working waterfronts and cultural heritage for generations to come.
Economic Impact
A Vital Engine of the Florida Keys Economy
With over 350 federally permitted vessels, the FL Keys support the largest commercial fishing fleet from TX to NC. Commercial fishing sustains more than 1,600 local families & remains the county’s 2nd largest economic driver after tourism, contributing hundreds of millions of dollars annually to the local economy.
A Fishing Family’s Legacy in the Keys
For Santiago Arencibia Jr., commercial fishing in the Florida Keys is more than work — it’s family tradition.
Santiago grew up on the water, spending summers fishing with his father long before he launched his own boat and business in 1986. In time, his sons followed his wake: Santi Jr. took on a second boat under the family company, and younger son Michael joined full-time in 2018. Today, Santiago and Michael work one vessel while Santi Jr. manages the other, making the Arencibias a true multigenerational fishing family.
Now the fourth generation to fish these waters, the family — including cousins and Santiago’s brother Carlos — hauls stone crab, lobster, and kingfish. Their catch sells internationally, with all the unpredictability that comes from global markets, weather, and changing conditions.
“It’s like any other business,” Arencibia Jr. says. “You have tough years and you’re just trying to make it. We all struggle, but we plan on being in it for a long, long time.”
Every February, the Florida Keys Seafood Festival offers a welcome break from those daily challenges. The Arencibia sons often work a booth during the festival, serving crab to festivalgoers who might not realize they’re enjoying seafood harvested by fisherman with “commercial fishing in their blood.” The event is a chance for the family to connect directly with the community and share the bounty of their year’s work.
“We love it,” Arencibia Jr. says. “I’m happy to be working beside my sons and down the dock from my brother. We wouldn’t have it any other way. This is what we were put on this earth to do.”
L to R
Michael, Santi Jr, Santi Sr, and Carlos Arencibia
Community, Partnerships & Education
We collaborate with community organizations, educational institutions, and local associations to support scholarship programs, seafood festivals, educational initiatives, and special grant-funded projects that benefit both fishermen and the broader Florida Keys community.
