FISHING By Peter Roos
Stone Crab Season Started Oct. 15 With Regulation Changes
New regulations in effect this season:
The minimum claw size limit will be 2 7/8 inches (an 1/8 inch increase). Possession of whole stone crabs on the water will be limited to two checker boxes, each up to 3 feet by 2 feet by 2 feet OR a total volume of 24 cubic feet. Checker boxes are used to hold crabs onboard a vessel before they are measured and legal-sized claws are removed. The season will now end on May 2. All plastic and wood stone crab traps will need to be outfitted with a 2 3/16-inch escape ring before the 2023/24 season.
Recreational Trap Registration
As a reminder, recreational harvesters who are age 16 and older and fish with traps are required to complete an online, no-cost recreational stone crab trap registration and place their registration number on their traps before using them. To register, visit www.GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, sign in, click the blue “Purchase a License” button, scroll down to the “Saltwater Permits” section, and select “Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration.” Upon completion, each person will receive unique trap registration numbers that must be included on each trap along with the owner’s full name and address. This information must be legible and must be permanently attached to each trap.
Other tips and regulations
Care should be taken when removing the claws so as to not permanently injure the crab. Claws may not be taken from egg-bearing stone crabs. Stone crabs may not be harvested with any device that can puncture, crush or injure a crab’s body. Examples of devices that can cause this kind of damage include spears and hooks. Recreational harvesters may take a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less, and may use up to five stone crab traps per person. Recreational and commercial traps could be baited and placed in the water Oct. 5, but claws could not be harvested or possessed until Oct. 15. Stone crab regulations are the same in state and federal waters. For more information go online to www.MyFWC.com/Marine.