I think it can be agreed upon that the ocean is the place to be in the middle of a hot, humid summer day. Whatever it is, the beach, a pontoon boat, or a cruise ship, being by or in the ocean brings serenity and joy. A tradition in my family every July is to take the boat down to the Florida Keys to dive, snorkel, fish, and most importantly, lobster. This summer has been the first one in about 10 years that I’ve gotten to take part in the tradition.
Let me tell you, it’s insane. In the 2 days that the general public is allowed to catch Florida (spiny) lobster before regular season, thousands of people flood to the southern coast to get their fix. In the majority of the state of Florida, each person is allowed 12 lobsters and can go out any time in the 48 hours considered “lobster mini season”. In Monroe County (where the keys are), each person is allowed 6 lobsters and can dive during the daylight hours and bully net anytime during those two days. Lobster season brings plenty of tourism to the Keys, especially because it is the shallowest (and easiest) place to catch lobster in Florida. The week surrounding lobster short season is the busiest time in the Keys. It’s when tourist attractions make the most money, and businesses boom. Key West is packed every night of the week, restaurants are slammed, and shops and street performers make tons of money in a very short amount of time
For sport lobsterers, these two days are the only time they have a chance to catching anything. In spending the week with my grandparents, I’ve learned that even though they’re technically allowed to lobster during the regular season, (August 6th – March 31st) once commercial traps get put out, recreational lobsterers have no chance of catching anything. Hundreds of traps are put all over the atlantic and the gulf in the best places to catch lobster. Even just by riding through the Atlantic the day after the 2 day sport season I’ve seen many buoys marking where commercial catchers have set traps.
Commercial fishing and catching marine life is a debate in and of itself, but the issue at hand here is those who want to catch their own lobster to feed their families hardly get the chance. If time is cut off of commercial lobster season and families are given more time to catch recreationally, it makes tourism to the Keys much less condensed and chaotic. However, the effect on businesses and restaurants that rely on lobster to bring in a profit is unknown. Lobster is expensive to buy. The two day sport season may be the only time some people in Florida get to eat it. However, lessening the amount of time or number of lobster for commercial fishers could also affect the businesses that rely on lobster being expensive. There is no lack of Florida lobster in the ocean. They are abundant, and there’s plenty to share. The issue is that due to the current laws, your everyday fisherman doesn’t get much of an opportunity to catch this well loved shellfish. How can we change regulations to keep businesses content, but make the everyday fisherman just a little happier? Let me know your thoughts here.
Kati's Journeys 