Catching Caribbean Spiny Lobster
A Brief Look at Harvesting Techniques and Bag Limits
 Introduction to the Caribbean Spiny Lobster. When most people hear the word lobster, they immediately think of the dark red lobster with the large claws made famous by advertisements for the Red Lobster restaurant chain. This lobster with the menacing claws is the American Lobster, found predominately in the northeastern waters of the United States. The American Lobster frequents very deep and cold waters, and is harvested by commercial lobstermen. They are seldom collected by recreation divers (unless they have a good dry-suit and love diving deep water). In the southeastern part of the country, we collect the Caribbean Spiny Lobster. The "spiny" does not have claws, but does have sharp spines on the body to protect it from predators. The Caribbean Spiny Lobster is found on the southern east coast of the Atlantic Ocean, in the middle to upper Caribbean, and in the Gulf of Mexico. Caribbean Spiny Lobster is most plentiful on the southern coast of Florida, the Bahamas, and is found in water ranging from three feet deep to 250 feet deep. Because the "spiny" is found in such warm water, at relatively shallow depths, this species is collected both commercially and recreationally.
 Where They Hide. The spiny lobster spends it's days hiding under coral heads, rocks, and any other places that would offer protection from predators. The spiny ventures out at night for feeding. Since most recreational lobstering is done during the day, we typically only see the giant antennae sticking out from the lobster's hiding place. Contrary to popular belief, the long antennae on the spiny lobster do not help the lobster "smell" underwater. That function is reserved for two smaller antennae, known more properly as antennules. These antennules can detect the slightest changes in water movement and slight changes in the chemical composition of the water due to the presence of predators. The long antennae we see sticking out from the lobster's hiding place simply function to "scare" predators that might be temped dig him out of his home. Caribbean Spiny Lobster don't typically live alone.....when you see one set of antennae, there are usually more! This is good to know as a recreational harvester.
Caribbean Spiny Lobster Season. Spiny lobster can be spotted all year long along the coastal waters of south Florida. However, there are restrictions on the times when they can be collected by recreational divers. In 2007-2008, the lobster season begins on August 6, 2007 and ends on March 31, 2008. During this time, recreational divers may take up to 6 spiny lobster per day, providing each lobster measures at least 3 inches along the carapace (this is the main body of the lobster from the indentation between the eyes to the end of the body shell). It is also illegal to take female lobster with egg bunches under the tail. All lobster must be measured prior to bringing them out of the water (so you must always have a lobster gauge when diving for lobster) and they must be collected in a way the insures that there is no harm to the lobster during transportation to the boat.
Lobster Mini Season. In addition to the season for recreational divers, there is also a season for commercial lobster harvesting. This season is slightly longer than the recreational season, and begins earlier in August. For years, Florida recreational divers complained that the commercial lobstermen harvest all of the "big bugs" before the start of the recreational season, leaving only "shorts" for the recreational collector. To combat this, the State of Florida implemented the lobster "mini-season". The mini-season is the last Wednesday and Thursday in July. In 2007, the mini-season is July 25-26. During the mini-season, Florida is swamped with recreational divers attempting to collect lobster.
How to Collect Spiny Lobster. Collection of lobster is done by scuba diving over rocky and coral scattered ocean floor. Close vigilance will allow you to spot the long antenna of the lobster sticking out from his hiding place. You then coax the lobster out of his hiding place by tapping a "tickle stick" near the front of the hiding place. The curiosity of the spiny will cause him to come out and investigate the movement. You then place the loop of a lobster snare over the tail or net the lobster with a lobster net. Some divers prefer to catch them by hand. The lobster is then measured with the lobster gauge and placed in a special net bag known as a "lobster hotel".
Measuring Caribbean Spiny Lobster
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