Page 413 - Visitor Guides

Lobstering Is Prohibited Facts For All Seasons: This is not an official publication of lobster
In The Following Areas: What To Know Before You Go. . . season rules and regulations. Regulations for

• Artificial Habitats in State Waters Bag Limits: The federal bag limit cannot be combined with the state Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Recreational Harvest
bag limit. For questions on regulations or to report a violation
• Biscayne Bay/Card Sound Spiny Lobster Division of Law Enforcement (888) 404-3922 and
Sanctuary (closed only to the harvest of spiny lobster) Possession: Lobster must be of legal size before they are in Marathon Office (305) 289-2320
possession. NOTE: You may not have lobster in your possession in Lobster Information
• Everglades National Park Everglades National Park. Division of Marine Fisheries (850) 487-0554

• Dry Tortugas National Park Egg-bearing (berried) lobster regardless of species must be South Atlantic Fishery Management Council for
released unharmed. Stripping egg-bearing females of eggs, and (843) 571-4366
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary possession of spiny or ridged slipper lobster tails from which eggs have Monroe County,
The following no-take areas are marked by 30" been removed is prohibited. Eggs are an orange, yellow, brown, or red Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council
diameter round yellow boundary buoys: mass found covering the underside of the lobster’s tail. (888) 833-1844 Florida
John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
• Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPAs) Coral is protected from damage and removing in state and federal (305) 451-1202
• Carysfort Reef • Cheeca Rocks waters. Do NOT touch, hold on to, stand on, break or otherwise harm
• Elbow • Alligator Reef coral. It is a fragile living animal. Everglades National Park (305) 242-7700
• Key Largo Dry Rocks • Coffins Patch Gear such as spears, hooks, wire snares, and any device which could 24-hour Dispatch (305) 242-7740
• Grecian Rocks • Sombrero Key puncture, penetrate, or crush the shell of the lobster is prohibited.
• French Reef • Looe Key Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges
• Molasses Reef • Newfound Harbor “Bully-netting” is defined as using a circular frame attached at a right (305) 872-2239
• Conch Reef • Eastern Dry Rocks angle to the end of a pole and supporting a conical bag of webbing. NOAA’s Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary
• Hen and Chickens • Rock Key Possession of bully nets is prohibited in Everglades National Park. Upper Region Office (305) 852-7717
• Davis Reef • Sand Key
“Hoop-netting” is defined as using a frame, circular or otherwise, Administrative Office (305) 809-4700
• Special-use Research Only Areas supporting a shallow bag of webbing and suspended by a line and Lower Region Office (305) 292-0311
• Conch Reef • Looe Key Patch Reef bridles. Possession of hoop nets is prohibited in Everglades National Islamorada Village of Islands (305) 664-2345
• Tennessee Reef • Eastern Sambo Park.
City of Key Colony Beach (305) 289-1212
• Ecological Reserves “Artificial Habitat” is material (e.g. wood, metal, concrete, plastic)
• Western Sambo that has been placed to provide cover and habitat for spiny lobster. Does City of Marathon (305) 743-0033
not include fishing gear allowed by FL FWCC, Florida-DEP or Army
• Tortugas (not currently marked, refer to GPS coordinates) Corps permitted artificial reefs (e.g. Duane, Eagle, Thunderbolt). Monroe County (305) 289-2805

• John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park License Requirements: Recreational harvesters are required to
• All of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing License with a current
closed during the two-day Sport Lobster Season crawfish endorsement. Consult your license agent for exemptions to Visit these Websites!
to the harvest of spiny lobster. licensing requirements. floridakeys.noaa.gov

• During the Regular Lobster Season no person Spanish and slipper lobster are closed year round to harvest in Key www.myfwc.com
shall harvest any lobster species from or within Largo and Looe Key Existing Management Areas, Everglades National www.nps.gov/ever
any coral formation (patch reef). Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida Keys National Marine www.nps.gov/drto
Sanctuary Ecological Reserves, Sanctuary Preservation Areas and www.nmfs.noaa.gov/
• The following “Pennekamp Lobster Exclusion Special-use Research Only Areas. During the Regular Lobster Season, www.dep.state.fl.us/
Zones” are closed during the Regular Lobster they are closed to harvest in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park www.divealive.org
Lobster Exclusion Zones and from or within coral formations (patch
Season to the harvest of any lobster species and reefs) within the Park.
are marked with white and orange spar buoys:
Commercial Lobster Traps: It is a felony to molest, damage, or take
• Turtle Rocks • Basin Hills North lobster from traps in state or federal waters.
• Basin Hills East • Basin Hills South
• Higdon’s Reef • Cannon Patch Dive Flag: All divers and snorkelers in the water are required to
• Mosquito Bank North • Mosquito Bank South East prominently display a diver down flag. Slow to idle speed within 300 Florida Spiny Lobster (Crawfish)
Panulirus argus
• Three Sisters North • Three Sisters South feet of a dive flag. 7/2009