Recreational/Sport Lobster Harvesting

Diving for Spiny lobster has become a South Florida tradition.

Lobster are usually found hiding under rocks and coral. They feed at night and hide in the shade during the day.

A lobster, caught by a sport diver. At one time regulations required the lobster be measured in the water to prevent damaging them. But more damage was caused by restraining lobsters and measuring lobsters, while they were trying to escape.

Diagram illustrating the 3 inch carapace requirement. It is the carapace that must be measured to determine if it can be kept (legal) or if it must be returned (short). If the carapace measures 3 inches or less, it must be returned to the water.

A female with eggs must be returned to the water. Lobsters usually reproduce during the Summer. Lobster season is closed from April to July for this reason. The eggs are firmly attached. Removing the eggs is against the law. 

A lobster tail with the carapace removed and ready for cooking.

A Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, Law Enforcement officer. There are several government agencies responsible for enforcing lobster harvest regulations, including the Dade County Marine Patrol and the National Park Service.

Spiny Lobster: Panulirus argus

Florida Regulations:

Spiny Lobster Sport Season

Season dates	Bag limit	Possession limit - on the water	Possession limit - off the water	Minimum size limit
July 24-25, 2013 (Last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday of July each year)	6 per person per day for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park 12 per person per day for the rest of Florida	Equal to the daily bag limit	Equal to the daily bag limit on the first day, and double the daily bag limit on the second day	Carapace larger than 3", measured in the water Possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times Find out how to measure spiny lobster

*Possession limits are enforced on and off the water

**Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County (only during the sport season)

***Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during the sport season and in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary during both the 2-day sport season and regular season.

Regular Spiny Lobster Season

Season dates	Bag limit	Possession limit - on the water	Minimum size limit
Aug. 6 - March 31	6 per person per day	Equal to the daily bag limit	Carapace larger than 3", measured in the water Possession and use of a measuring device is required at all times Find out how to measure spiny lobster

***Harvest of lobster is prohibited in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park during the sport season and in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, and no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary during both the 2-day sport season and regular season.

Florida Keys/Monroe County Information

• Monroe County Lobster  (357 KB)
• Monroe County Spearfishing  
• Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary 

Call 305-852-7717 or visit http://floridakeys.noaa.gov  for information about no take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. Please call the FWC Marathon office at 305-289-2320, or check online for lobster harvesting regulations  for Monroe County. 

Other Prohibitions

• Unless exempt, a recreational saltwater fishing license and a lobster permit are required to harvest spiny lobster
• Lobster must be landed in whole condition. Separating the tail from the body is prohibited in state waters.
• The harvest or possession of eggbearing spiny lobster, or any other eggbearing species of lobster belonging to the families Palinuridae (spiny lobsters), Scyllaridae (slipper lobsters) or Synaxidae (furry lobsters) is prohibited
• No person shall harvest or attempt to harvest spiny lobster using any device which will or could puncture, penetrate or crush the exoskeleton (shell) or the flesh of the lobster
• Recreational trapping prohibited
• Regardless of what species you are fishing for, bag limits are only for properly licensed individuals and those people exempt from license requirements who are actively harvesting. People harvesting may not exceed their individual bag limit and take someone else's bag limit. That is, people (including children) who are not actively harvesting or are not properly licensed (if a license is required) may NOT be counted for purposes of bag limits.

These are the restrictions for harvesting Spiny lobster for 2013, which may change each year.