Outdoors

Get buggin'

By Terry Tomalin, Outdoors Editor
Published July 6, 2007

Dust off your mask and snorkel. The two-day sport season for spiny lobster, or "bugs" as divers say, will fall on July 25 and 26 this year.

Know your limits

Bug hunters may keep six lobsters per person per day in Monroe County (the Florida Keys) and Biscayne National Park, and 12 per person per day for the rest of Florida.

The possession limit on the water is equal to the daily bag limit, and off the water is equal to the daily bag limit on the first day, and double the daily bag limit on the second day. Be forewarned: law enforcement officers are out in force and possession limits are enforced on and off the water.

Not too small

A legal spiny lobster must have a carapace that is at least 3 inches long, and the lobster must be measured in the water. You must have a measuring device in your possession at all times.

Night diving is prohibited in Monroe County during the sport season, but allowed in other areas of the state. A recreational saltwater license and a crawfish permit are needed for harvest.

Don't forget

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

In case you miss it

The regular spiny lobster season opens Aug. 6 through March 31. The bag limit is six lobsters per day.

To learn more, go to www.myfwc.com.

[Last modified July 5, 2007, 13:35:10]