Measuring Lobster Facts for All Seasons This is not an official publication of lobster season rules and regulations. 9 No person shall harvest or attempt to harvest Possession: Lobster must be of legal size before they are in spiny lobster by diving unless they possess, while possession. NOTE: You may not have lobster in your possession Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission in Everglades National Park (Florida Bay). Regulations for in the water, a gauge made for measuring lobster. For questions on regulations or to report a violation 9 Bag Limits: The Federal bag limit cannot be combined with Division of Law Enforcement 888-404-3922 Recreational Harvest All lobster must be measured in the water, if the State bag limit. In addition, people who are NOT actively harvested by diving. Marathon Office 305-289-2320 harvesting or are not properly licensed (when a license is Division of Marine Fisheries 850-487-0554 & 9 Lobster carapace must be greater than three required) may NOT be counted for purpose of bag limits. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 866-723-6210 (3) inches to be harvested or possessed. All License Requirements: Recreational harvesters are required to Lobster Information for undersized lobsters must be released unharmed. possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License with a current Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council 888-833-1844 The carapace measurement begins at the forward spiny lobster permit. Consult your license agent for exemptions. Monroe County, edge between the rostral horns, excluding any soft John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park 305-451-1202 tissue, and proceeds along the middle to the rear Gear: Harvesting or attempting to harvest spiny lobster using Florida edge of the carapace. any device that will or could puncture, penetrate, or crush the National Parks- Everglades, Dry Tortugas and Biscayne exoskeleton (shell) or the flesh of the lobster, and the use of such Information 305-242-7700 9 All recreationally harvested lobster must remain devices is prohibited. 24-hour Dispatch (Everglades, Biscayne) 305-242-7740 in whole condition while at sea. Commercial Lobster Traps and Ghost Traps: It is a felony Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges 305-872-2239 9 Tails can only be separated on land. When the tail to molest, damage, or take lobster from traps in State or is separated from the body, it must be greater than Federal waters. (Recreational trapping is prohibited.) NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 5-1/2 inches. Key Largo Office 305-852-7717 Coral is protected from damage and removal in State and Key West Office 305-809-4700 Federal waters. Do NOT touch, hold on to, stand on, break, anchor on, flip over or otherwise harm coral. It is a fragile living For questions on shoreline regulations or to report a shoreline animal. violation, contact the appropriate entity: Islamorada 305-664-6480 Egg-bearing (berried) lobster regardless of species must be released unharmed. Stripping egg-bearing females of eggs, and Key Colony Beach 305-289-1212 possession of spiny or ridged slipper lobster tails from which eggs have been removed is prohibited. Eggs are an orange, Key West 305-809-3700 yellow, brown, or red mass found covering the underside of the Layton 305-664-4667 lobster’s tail.
Dive Flag: All divers and snorkelers in the water are required to Marathon 305-743-0033 prominently display a diver down flag. Vessel operators should Monroe County 305-289-2805 slow to idle speed within 100 yards of a dive flag. “Bully-netting” is using a circular frame attached at a right Visit these websites! Lobster angle to the end of a pole and supporting a conical bag of www.myfwc.com carapace webbing. Possession of bully nets is prohibited in Everglades www.nmfs.noaa.gov National Park (Florida Bay). must be www.floridastateparks.org/pennekamp/ greater “Hoop-netting” is using a frame, circular or otherwise, www.nps.gov/ever than supporting a shallow bag of webbing and suspended by a line www.nps.gov/bisc and bridles. Possession of hoop nets is prohibited in Everglades three (3) www.nps.gov/drto National Park (Florida Bay). floridakeys.noaa.gov inches. “Artificial Habitats in State Waters”: Placing artificial habitat www.dep.state.fl.us or harvesting lobster from artificial habitat is prohibited. www.islamorada.fl.us Artificial habitat is any material placed in the waters of the www.keycolonybeach.net state that is reasonably suited to providing cover and habitat www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/ for spiny lobster. Such material may be constructed of, but is www.cityoflayton.com not limited to, wood, metal, fiberglass, concrete, or plastic, www.ci.marathon.fl.us or any combination thereof, and may be fabricated for this www.monroecounty-fl.gov Florida Spiny Lobster specific purpose or for some other purpose. Artificial habitat does not include fishing gear allowed by FWC or artificial reefs (Crawfish) Printed by permitted by Florida DEP or Army Corps. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 06/2018 Panulirus argus FACTS TO KNOW BEFORE YOU GO. . . Spiny Lobste:t' Regulations - Regu.la:t' and Spm·t Two~day (l\fini) Season Additional Rules and Measuring Information found in Facts For All Seasons & Measuring Lobster sections of this brochure Season nates Bag Limit Possesg_on limit l'dinimum size Diving a.t off the water Night Areas/Zones Closed to Harvest of Spiny Lobster TWO'-UAY Six (6) per The two-day mut of 12 Carapace must NOT Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary John Pennekamp SPORT recreat:ionaJ per recreat:ionaJ bdarger than r, Permitted in SEASON harvester harvester in Monroe measured in the l'donroe Closed Zones (Year Round) Coral Reef State is ilie last per day in County and adjacent w ater_ Possession Count)'. (Marked by 30" Yellow Boundary Buoy) Park (JPCRSP) consecutive jVI:onroe federaJ w aters can only and use of a Note: Night is ------.------T------W ednesday and Count) be possessed when measnrmg 1 hour after Sanctuary Ecological Special-use JPCRSP - Closed for Timrs day in July; and transporting your catch device is offidaJ smset Preservation Areas Reserves Research Only Sport Season * Begins 12:01 am Biscayne by car on, or after, the required. to 1 hour All of JPCRSP is closed on Day 1 & ends (SPAs) Areas (No entry) National second day. before officiaJ Western during the Two-day Sport 12:00 midnight Park Stmrl!Se. Carysfm1, Cheeca Rocks, Samba Conch Reef Season to the harvest of onDay2. Conch Reef, Davis Reef, Tortugas Tennessee Reef any lobster species. REG LAR Six (6) per Srn (6 ) per recreationaJ Carapace must Per·mitted The Elbow, Grecian, Ecological Looe Key Patch Reef Season recreational harvester be Earger than r French Reef, Hens and Reserve Year Round Coral Rule: Eastern Samba August 6- harvester per day and must be Chickens, Key Largo Dry N011h & No person shall harvest larch 31. per day measured mthe Rocks, Molasses Reef, South any lobster species from Begins 12:01 am w ater. Possession Alligator Reef, Coffins (refer to or within any coral Aug. 6 & ends and use of a Patch, Sombrero Key, GPS formation (patch reef) 12:()0 midnight measuring device Eastern Dry Rocks, Looe coordinates, regardless of its proximity l;rr_ 31. is required. Key, Newfound Harbor, not marked) to or exclusion from a Sand Key, Rock Key Lobster Exclusion Zone. NOTE~ Egg-bt"a.I"in.g lobsters •·egaTdless ofspt"cies mus.t bt" releast"d unb.armt"d.
Other Closed Areas (Year Round) JPCRSP Lobster Spiny Lobster Local Ordinances - Regular and Two-day Sport Season Everglades Exclusion Zones * National Park Closed (Year Round) Local Rule: No snorkeling or diving within 300 ft. of improved residential or commercial shoreline l ::i~ (Marked by Orange/White or any mann1ade or private canal, any public or private marina. This mle is in effect according to Dry Tortugas Spar buoys) are found at: the information provided below. National Park City of Layton ------r------·------,------~~?ter I TUl1le Rocks, Basin Hills Marathon 1 Unincorporated Monroe County, Islamorada - Key Colony 1 Sanctuary j North, Basin Hills East, -Local Layton, Key West- Local rule applies Local rule applies Beach -Local Spanish and Slipper Lobster Closed Areas Basin Hills South, mle applies during the 3 days preceding Sport Season, during the 3 days mle applies during Higdon's Reef, Cannon Spanish and slipper lobster are closed year round to harvest in Key only during the entirety of Sport Season and the flrst 5 preceding Sport 4 days preceding Largo and Looe Key Existing Management Areas, all FKNMS Patch, Mosquito Bank Sport days of Regular Season. Season, the Sport Season and North, Mosquito Bank continues until 10 zones listed above in this table, Everglades & Dry Tor1ugas National Season Exception- Diving and snorkeling in entirety of Sport Parks and all coral formations and Lobster Exclusion Zones in South East, Three Sisters front of his/her property to the center line of Season and the days have elapsed North, Three Sisters South the canal or open water. Layton has a flrst 5 days of after the opening JPCRSP. * prohibition on harvesting lobster any time Regular Season of Regular Season NOTE: Coral is protected from damage/removal in state and federal waters. from waters within city limits.