Thousands of Florida residents and visitors are expected for this year’s recreational Spiny Lobster Season. The two-day sport season opens Wednesday and Thursday.
Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Spokeswoman Amanda Nalley says as many as 30,000 people are expected to flock to the South Florida region—the main area for recreational Spiny Lobster Season.
“There’s a lot of interest in the two-day season. First, of all it’s recreational only. So, a lot of your recreational anglers like to take that opportunity to get out on the water before the commercial season starts. It’s something that you have a huge draw in that area,” said Nalley.
Night diving is not allowed during the recreational season. Recreational usually means for your own personal use, while commercial fisherman must have a license to sell their catch to dealers, who then sell the lobsters off to restaurants.
Commercial fishermen may begin putting their traps in the water August 1st. The regular season begins August 6th and runs through March 31st of next year. Invasive Lionfish may also be found in the area, and FWC encourages harvesters to remove as many as they can.
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