Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68B - Marine Fisheries › Chapter 68B-24 - SPINY LOBSTER (CRAWFISH) AND SLIPPER LOBSTER › Section 68B-24.003 - Minimum Size Limits

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) No person shall
				harvest or possess any spiny lobster with a carapace measurement of 3 inches or
				less or, if the tail is separated from the body, a tail measurement less than 5
				1/2 inches not including any protruding muscle tissue, except as may be
				provided in subsection (3), of this rule.
(2) The carapace (head, body, or front
				section) measurement shall be determined by beginning at the anteriormost edge
				(front) of the groove between the horns directly above the eyes, then
				proceeding along the middorsal line (middle of the back) to the rear edge of
				the top part of the carapace, excluding any translucent membrane. The tail
				(segmented portion) shall be measured lengthwise along the top middorsal line
				(middle of the back) of the entire tail until the rearmost extremity is
				reached; provided, the tail measurement shall be conducted with the tail in a
				flat straight position with the tip of the tail closed.
(3) The holder of a valid crawfish license or
				trap number, lobster trap certificates, and a valid saltwater products license
				issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may harvest and
				possess, while on the water, undersized spiny lobster not exceeding 50 per boat
				and 1 per trap aboard each boat if used exclusively for luring, decoying, or
				otherwise attracting noncaptive spiny lobster into traps. Such undersized spiny
				lobster shall be kept alive, while in possession, in a shaded continuously
				circulating live well with pump capacity to totally replace the water at least
				every 8 minutes and large enough to provide at least 3/4 gallon of seawater per
				lobster. All undersized lobster so maintained shall be released to the water
				alive and unharmed immediately upon leaving the trap lines and prior to 1 hour
				after official sunset.
(4) Spiny
				lobster harvested in Florida waters shall remain in a whole condition at all
				times while on or below the waters of the state and the practice of wringing or
				separating the tail (segmented portion) from the body (carapace and head)
				section is prohibited on state waters. Possession of spiny lobster tails that
				have been wrung or separated, on or below the waters of the state, is
				prohibited, unless the spiny lobster are being imported pursuant to Rule
				68B-24.0045, F.A.C., or were
				harvested outside the waters of the state and the wringing or separation was
				pursuant to a federal permit allowing such wringing or separation. In the
				latter case, the federal permit shall be present and accompany any wrung or
				separated spiny lobster tails while possessed on or below the waters of the
				state.
(5) No person shall harvest
				or attempt to harvest spiny lobster by diving unless he possesses, while in the
				water, a measuring device capable of being used to perform the carapace
				measurement described in subsection (2). Each measurement performed by such a
				person shall occur in the water.
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law
					 Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla.
					 Const.
New 7-2-87, Amended 7-2-90, 3-1-92, 6-1-94, Formerly
					 46-24.003, Amended 7-9-02.