FWC to lobster divers: Expect boosted patrols for safety and regulations enforcement during mini-season

KEY WEST, Fla. – Roger Young, Executive Director of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, said there will be extra law enforcement officers ensuring regulations will be followed during the upcoming extra day for lobstering.

DeSantis announced last week the addition of an extra day to the 2024 recreational spiny lobster mini-season. Spiny lobster mini-season takes place on July 24 and July 25. The additional day announced by the governor will take place on July 14, 10 days earlier.

Some locals have expressed concerns about the influx of people and worries about regulations, however Young said that they are bringing additional law enforcement officers from out of town to assist.

Young said they will have “every officer available working that day to ensure the public is safe and that there’s boating safety regulations on the water being enforced.”

Young told Florida’s Voice the decision to add an extra day ahead of the lobster mini-season was made to give Florida residents and our locals “an opportunity to go out and enjoy the resource before the mini-season.”

The extra day which has been added is “an effort to get Floridians outside,” Young said.

Young said Sunday, July 14 was selected since Sundays are a “transition day” for resorts and hotels.

“This hopefully won’t negatively impact the commercial industry because we put it out in front of the mini-season, which was another goal that we were looking for,” he added.

Young said the opportunity will be only available to Florida residents who hold a “valid resident recreational saltwater fishing license with the spiny lobster permit.”

“This will hopefully give Florida residents and their families an opportunity to get out there and enjoy the resources together as a family, like so many families have throughout history in the state of Florida,” Young explained.

He noted if officers find people who go over the bag limit or are in possession of undersized lobster, criminal citations will be given.

According to the tourism website, the limit is six lobsters per person, per day, in Monroe County. “Double-dipping” trips are prohibited, according to the rules.

“We just want everybody to enjoy the resource, we want everyone to enjoy the day on the water, but we want them to be safe. That’s our priority from our FWC officers,” Young said.

Although some residents have expressed concerns about possible damage to the reef, Young said they are “confident through the enforcement and regulations that we have in place that our coral reefs won’t be negatively impacted.”

“There’s always a lot of boats in Florida, it’s summertime. There’s a lot of families out there, our officers are out there enforcing regulations, but we don’t think that this will have an impact on the coral reefs at all,” Young said.

Additionally, he said there is no scientific evidence or data to suggest that mini season will “initiate any lobster migration” or have any “negative effects” on the mini-season.

Tilden’s Scuba Center wrote on social media that this year has been an “economic disaster” and the extra day for lobstering “may keep us afloat and we couldn’t be happier.”

To read the full regulations, click here.