Stone Crab Season Set To Close May 16
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MIAMI (CBSMiami) – Have you had your fill of stone crab claws yet this season? If not, time is running out. The clock is ticking for the end of Florida's stone crab season. The commercial and recreational harvest of stone crab claws in Florida closes on Wednesday, May 16th.
The yearly closure helps to protect stone crabs during its peak spawning season.
The nice thing about eating stone crab claws, other than they are delicious, is that stone crab claws are the only renewable resource from the water. Crabbers take only one claw from each crab, which is then regenerated over time.
Stone crab season reopens October 15.
Stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 16 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer.
Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season unless a special extension is granted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.