Measuring Lobster Facts for All Seasons: This is not an official publication of lobster season rules and regulations. Possession: Lobster must be of legal size before they are in Regulations for 99 No person shall harvest or attempt to harvest possession. NOTE: You may not have lobster in your possession in Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Recreational Harvest spiny lobster by diving unless they possess, while Everglades National Park (Florida Bay). For questions on regulations or to report a violation in the water, a gauge made for measuring lobster. Bag Limits: The Federal bag limit cannot be combined with the State Division of Law Enforcement 888-404-3922 and bag limit. Marathon Office 305-289-2320 99 All lobster must be measured in the water, if Division of Marine Fisheries 850-487-0554 harvested by diving. Egg-bearing (berried) lobster regardless of species must be Lobster Information released unharmed. Stripping egg-bearing females of eggs, and South Atlantic Fishery Management Council 866-723-6210 9 possession of spiny or ridged slipper lobster tails from which eggs have for 9 Lobster carapace must be greater than three been removed is prohibited. Eggs are an orange, yellow, brown, or red Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council 888-833-1844 (3) inches to be harvested or possessed. All mass found covering the underside of the lobster’s tail. Monroe County, undersized lobsters must be released unharmed. John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park 305-451-1202 Coral is protected from damage and removal in State and Federal National Parks- Everglades, Dry Tortugas and Biscayne Florida 99 All recreationally harvested lobster must remain waters. Do NOT touch, hold on to, stand on, break or otherwise harm coral. It is a fragile living animal. Information 305-242-7700 in whole condition while at sea. 24-hour Dispatch (Everglades, Biscayne) 305-242-7740 Gear: Harvesting or attempting to harvest spiny lobster using any 99 Tails can only be separated on land. When the tail device that will or could puncture, penetrate, or crush the exoskeleton Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges 305-872-2239 (shell) or the flesh of the lobster, and the use of such devices is is separated from the body, it must be greater than NOAA Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary prohibited. 5-1/2 inches. Key Largo Office 305-852-7717 “Bully-netting” is using a circular frame attached at a right angle to Key West Office 305-809-4700 the end of a pole and supporting a conical bag of webbing. Possession of bully nets is prohibited in Everglades National Park (Florida Bay). For questions on shoreline regulations or to report a shoreline “Hoop-netting” is using a frame, circular or otherwise, supporting a violation, contact the appropraite entity: shallow bag of webbing and suspended by a line and bridles. Possession Islamorada 305-664-6480 of hoop nets is prohibited in Everglades National Park (Florida Bay). Key Colony Beach 305-289-1212 “Artificial Habitats in State Waters” is any material placed in the waters of the state that is reasonably suited to providing cover and Key West 305-809-3700 habitat for spiny lobster. Placing artificial habitat or harvesting lobster Layton 305-664-4667 from artificial habitat is prohibited. Such material may be constructed of, but is not limited to, wood, metal, fiberglass, concrete, or plastic, Marathon 305-743-0033 or any combination thereof, and may be fabricated for this specific purpose or for some other purpose. Artificial habitat does not include Monroe County 305-289-2805 fishing gear allowed by FWC or artificial reefs permitted by Florida DEP or Army Corps. Lobster Visit these websites! carapace License Requirements: Recreational harvesters are required to www.myfwc.com www.nmfs.noaa.gov must be possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License with a current spiny lobster permit. Consult your license agent for exemptions. www.floridastateparks.org/pennekamp/ greater www.nps.gov/ever Spanish and slipper lobster are closed year round to harvest in Key than www.nps.gov/bisc three (3) Largo and Looe Key Existing Management Areas, Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks, Florida Keys National Marine www.nps.gov/drto inches. Sanctuary Ecological Reserves, Sanctuary Preservation Areas and floridakeys.noaa.gov Special-use Research Only Areas. During the Regular Season, they www.dep.state.fl.us are closed to harvest in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park www.islamorada.fl.us Lobster Exclusion Zones and from or within coral formations (patch www.keycolonybeach.net reefs) within the Park. www.cityofkeywest-fl.gov/ www.cityoflayton.com Commercial Lobster Traps: It is a felony to molest, damage, or take www.ci.marathon.fl.us lobster from traps in State or Federal waters. www.monroecounty-fl.gov Dive Flag: All divers and snorkelers in the water are required to Florida Spiny Lobster (Crawfish) prominently display a diver down flag. Vessel operators must slow to Printed by Panulirus argus idle speed within 100 yards of a dive flag. Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary: 07/2016 Sport Season Regular Season State and Federal Waters State and Federal Waters The two-day Sport Lobster Season is always the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday in July. August 6 through March 31. Begins at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of the sport season. Begins at 12:01 a.m. on August 6. Ends at 12:00 midnight on March 31. Ends at 12:00 midnight on the last day of the sport season. Bag Limit: Six (6) per recreational harvester per day. Bag Limit: Six (6) per recreational harvester per day. The two-day total of twelve lobster per recreational Diving at night for lobster is permitted. harvester in Monroe County, adjacent Federal waters, and Biscayne National Park can only be possessed when transporting your catch by car on, or after, the second day. Prohibited Areas: Diving at night for lobster is NOT permitted in Monroe County and adjacent Federal waters. Bully-netting and • Artificial Habitats in State Waters “Pennekamp Lobster Exclusion Zones” • Turtle Rocks • Cannon Patch hoop-netting is permitted at night. “Night” is 1 hour after official sunset to 1 hour before official sunrise. • Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary • Basin Hills North • Mosquito Bank North • Layton • Basin Hills East • Mosquito Bank South East Prohibited Areas: No person shall remove by any means, whether by • Basin Hills South • Three Sisters North • Artificial Habitats in State Waters • Local Jurisdictions trap, diving, spearing or otherwise, any Florida spiny • Higdon’s Reef • Three Sisters South lobster from any waters within the city limits. • Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary Local jurisdictions have specific restrictions on • Local Jurisdictions snorkeling and diving. Jurisdictions have extended the • Dry Tortugas National Park Local jurisdictions have specific restrictions on • Layton rule beyond the Lobster Sport Season. • Everglades National Park (Florida Bay) snorkeling and diving. Jurisdictions have extended the No person shall remove by any means, whether by trap, diving, spearing or otherwise, any Florida spiny In the local jurisdictions, there is no diving or • Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary rule beyond the Lobster Sport Season. lobster from any waters within the city limits. snorkeling within: The following no-take areas are marked by 30” In the local jurisdictions, there is no diving or • 300 feet of improved residential or commercial diameter round yellow boundary buoys: • Dry Tortugas National Park snorkeling within: shoreline, any manmade or private canal, any • Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) • 300 feet of improved residential or commercial • Everglades National Park (Florida Bay) public or private marina. • Carysfort Reef • Cheeca Rocks shoreline, any manmade or private canal, any • Elbow • Alligator Reef • Dive means to wholly or partially submerge one’s public or private marina. • Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary • Key Largo Dry Rocks • Coffins Patch body while equipped with a mask or goggles, The following no-take areas are marked by 30” • Grecian Rocks • Sombrero Key • Dive means to wholly or partially submerge one’s whether or not any type of underwater breathing diameter round yellow boundary buoys: • French Reef • Looe Key body while equipped with a mask or goggles, apparatus is used. • Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) • Molasses Reef • Newfound Harbor whether or not any type of underwater breathing • Carysfort Reef • Cheeca Rocks • Marathon (Ch. 36 Art. VII) • Conch Reef • Eastern Dry Rocks apparatus is used. • Elbow • Alligator Reef Rule applies during Sport Season only. • Hen and Chickens • Rock Key • Key Colony Beach (Ch. 5 Art. I) • Key Largo Dry Rocks • Coffins Patch • Davis Reef • Sand Key • Grecian Rocks • Sombrero Key • Key Colony Beach (Ch. 5 Art. I) Rule applies during the 4 days preceding Sport • French Reef • Looe Key Rule applies during the 4 days preceding Sport • Special-use Research Only Areas Season and continues until 10 days have elapsed • Molasses Reef • Newfound Harbor Season and continues until 10 days have elapsed • Conch Reef • Looe Key Patch Reef after the opening of Regular Season. • Tennessee Reef • Eastern Sambo • Conch Reef • Eastern Dry Rocks after the opening of Regular Season. • Islamorada (Ch. 66 Art. I) • Hen and Chickens • Rock Key • Ecological Reserves Rule applies during the 3 days preceding Sport • Davis Reef • Sand Key • Islamorada (Ch. 66 Art. I) Rule applies during the 3 days preceding Sport • Western Sambo Season, the entirety of Sport Season and the first • Special-use Research Only Areas Season, the entirety of Sport Season and the first • Tortugas (not marked, refer to GPS coordinates) 5 days of Regular Season. • Conch Reef • Looe Key Patch Reef 5 days of Regular Season. • John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park • Layton, Key West and Unincorporated • Tennessee Reef • Eastern Sambo • During the Regular Season no person shall harvest Monroe County (Monroe County Ch. 26 Art. IV) • Layton, Key West and Unincorporated Monroe any lobster species from or within any coral Rule applies during the 3 days preceding Sport • Ecological Reserves County (Monroe County Ch. 26 Art. IV) formation (patch reef) regardless of its proximity to, • Western Sambo Season, the entirety of Sport Season and the first Rule applies during the 3 days preceding Sport or exclusion from, a marked “Pennekamp Lobster • Tortugas (not marked, refer to GPS coordinates) 5 days of Regular Season. Exception: diving and Season, the entirety of Sport Season and the first Exclusion Zone.” 5 days of Regular Season. Exception: diving and snorkeling is allowed in front of his or her • John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park • “Pennekamp Lobster Exclusion Zones” are closed snorkeling is allowed in front of his or her property to the center line of the canal or 100 feet All of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is during the Regular Season to the harvest of any property to the center line of the canal or 100 feet of open water. closed during the two-day Sport Season to the harvest lobster species and are marked with white and of open water. of spiny lobster. orange spar buoys: