Stone crab season in Florida and federal waters draws to a close May 1

Stone crab season ends May 1 in Florida and Federal waters.

Stone crab enthusiasts, both commercial and recreational, better get their take while they can as the harvesting season in Florida and federal waters draws to an end this week.

Wednesday, May 1, will be the last day to legally catch the culinary crustaceans. As of May 2, it will be illegal to harvest them.

“This annual season closure is intended to increase the stone crab population and build resiliency in the fishery,” a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) press release said.

The season officially opened Oct. 15 in state waters and for recreational purposes, it limited stone crab enthusiasts to five traps each. The traps are required to be 8 cubic feet in volume or 24 inches by 24 inches. There are multiple stipulations beyond that as detailed by the FWC. Some harvesting stone crabs can also use nets.

Stone crabbing has long been popular in Florida waters, where only the claws of the crabs can be harvested. The crabs themselves can regenerate their claws once they are cropped from their bodies. The claws grow back within months.

Stone crab claws are the tastiest part of the crustaceans. They are popular in restaurants throughout the Sunshine State.

The harvesting of stone crab claws is so popular that the FWC permits the sale of commercially caught crab claws before the closure of the season to continue well after the May 2 official end of the 2023-24 season.

“Commercially harvested stone crab claws may be possessed and sold during the closed season but only if they have been placed in inventory prior to May 2 by a licensed wholesale or retail dealer,” the FWC news release said.

While the stone crab season draws to a close, FWC officials are reminding recreational enthusiasts and professional harvesters to tend to their traps that are in the water. Officials want waters cleared of the traps.

“Stone crab traps must be removed from the water within five days after the close of the stone crab season. Stone crab claws may not be harvested from traps pulled after the season closes,” the news release said.