Today marks the beginning of stone crab season, good news for fisherman and retaurant patrons.Stone crabs are Florida's only renewable seafood resource, according the the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission.
Stone crab claws are harvested and the body is returned to the water to generate new claws. Both claws of a stone crab may be harvested if they are of legal size, although this practice makes it difficult for the crab to defend itself from predators.
Stone Crab Rules
■No females with eggs
■2 3/4-inch claw
■Open season: Oct. 15 - May 15
■Bag limit: 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less
Stone Crab Harvesting Gear
■It is unlawful to use any device on the taking of stone crabs that can puncture, crush, or injure the crab body, such as spears, grains, grabs, hooks, or similar devices
■Maximum of 5 stone crabs traps per person as described in the summary of stone crab trapping rules below
Stone Crab Trapping Rules
■5-trap maximum
■Buoy must have a legible "R" at least two inches high, permanently affixed to it. Buoys are not required if trap is fished from a dock.
■Trap shall have harvesters name and address permanently affixed to it in legible letters.
■Traps must be pulled manually. Any vessel that is rigged with a trap puller will be considered a commercial vessel and the appropriate licenses will be
required.
■Traps must be pulled only during daylight hours.
■Traps must not be placed in navigational channels of the Intracoastal waterways, or in navigational channels maintained and marked by any county, municipal, state or federal
governmental agency.
■A Florida recreational fishing license is required to harvest stone crabs under the recreational fishing regulations.
■Stone crab trap specifications are the same for recreational and commercial harvesters.
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