FWC Regulations : Evolution of Each Regulation : Stone Crab :

STONE CRAB, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective April 10, 1985)

Closed season: May 15 to October 15

Minimum claw size: 2 3/4 inches forearm length (no tolerance on undersized claws)

Prohibited:

· Harvest of claws from egg-bearing females

· Possession of egg-bearing females

· Possession of live or dead stone crab body, except live crabs may be held temporarily on vessels at sea until claws are removed provided they are shaded, kept damp, and not compressed

· Any device which can puncture, crush, or injure crab body, such as spears, hooks, grabs, grains, etc.

Gear Restrictions:

· Nonwooden traps must have a biodegradable section

· Traps may be placed in the water and baited 10 days prior to season opening

· Traps must be removed from the water within 5 days after the season closes - D.N.R. may extend this time a maximum of 10 days under certain conditions

· Traps must be attached to buoys and marked according to certain specifications

· Traps may be transferred to others under certain conditions

STONE CRAB - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER87-2, F.A.C. (Effective May 15 - August 12, 1987)

Redefines stone crabs as any crustacean of the species Menippe mercenaria or Menippe adina or the interbreeding hybrid Menippe mercenaria x adina, or any part of such crustacean.

STONE CRAB, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective August 25, 1987)

Makes definition of stone crabs (described above) permanent, and allows importation of stone crabs under certain restrictions during closed seasons through 1989.

STONE CRAB, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective April 18, 1990)

Reinstates a requirement that persons using traps to harvest stone crabs must hold a saltwater products license. Other technical changes are made in this rule to conform its language to the current trap number system in the stone crab fishery.

STONE CRAB, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective June 17, 1993)

Prohibits the use of any trap in this fishery that has been treated with petroleum products, beginning October 5, 1995.

STONE CRAB, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective October 4, 1995)

· Establishes a maximum size of 2' X 2' X 2' for stone crab traps

· Establishes a maximum throat size of 3½” X 5½” for stone crab traps

· Requires wire stone crab traps to have the same escape rings as blue crab traps are required to have when used to harvest blue crabs

· Requires stone crab slat trap throats to be located on the top of the trap

· Requires degradable panels in all non-wooden stone crab traps

· Defines degradable panels for stone crab traps as having wooden slats with a maximum thickness of 3/4" that cover an escape hole no smaller than the throat size

· Establishes degradability requirements for stone crab traps: such traps are considered to have a legal degradable panel if the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to the trap by a single loop of untreated Jute twine, and the trap lid is secured so that when the jute degrades, the lid will no longer be securely closed; or the trap lid tie-down strap is secured to one end with a corrodible hook composed of non-coated steel wire measuring 24 gauge or thinner, and the trap lid is secured so that when the hook degrades, the lid will no longer be securely closed; or the trap contains at least one sidewall with a vertical rectangular opening no smaller in either dimension than 6 inches high and 3 inches wide, and the opening is laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed by a single length of untreated jute twine knotted only at each end and not tied or looped more than once around a single mesh bar; the opening in the sidewall of the trap must no longer be obstructed when the jute degrades; or the trap contains at least one sidewall with a vertical rectangular opening no smaller in either dimension than 6 inches high by 3 inches wide, and the opening must be obstructed with an untreated pine slat or slats no thicker than 3/8 inch - the opening in the sidewall of the trap must no longer be obstructed when the slat degrades; or the trap contains at least one sidewall with a vertical rectangular opening no smaller in either dimension than 6 inches high by 3 inches wide, and the opening must be laced, sewn, or otherwise obstructed by non-coated steel wire measuring 24 gauge or thinner or be obstructed with a panel of ferrous single-dipped galvanized wire mesh made of 24 gauge or thinner wire

· Allows recreational fishermen to use no more than five stone crab traps, with a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of stone crab claws per person, or 2 gallons of claws per vessel, and prohibits the use of power assisted gear to retrieve stone crab traps by recreational fishermen

STONE CRAB - TRAP VESSEL MARKING, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective September 30, 1996)

Requires the color and trap number of marking buoys to be permanently and conspicuously displayed on vessels so that they are:

· Readily identifiable from the air, with the approved buoy design displayed and affixed to the uppermost structural portion of the vessel and displayed horizontally with the painted design up; the display is required to exhibit the harvester's approved buoy design, unobstructed, on a circle 20 inches in diameter, outlined in contrasting color, together with the permit numbers affixed beneath the circle in numerals no smaller than 10 inches high

· Readily identifiable from the water, with the approved buoy design displayed and affixed vertically to both the starboard and port sides of the vessel near amidship; the display is required to exhibit the harvester's approved buoy design, unobstructed, on a circle 8 inches in diameter, outlined in contrasting color, together with the permit numbers affixed beneath the circle in numerals no smaller than 4 inches high

STONE CRAB - WIRE TRAP SPECIFICATIONS, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective January 1, 1998)

· Requires that each throat (entrance) in all wire stone crab traps be horizontally oriented; the width of the opening where the throat meets the vertical wall of the trap and the opening of the throat at its farthest point from the vertical wall, inside the trap, shall be greater than the height of any such opening; no such throat shall extend farther than 6 inches into the inside of any trap, measured from where the throat opening meets the vertical wall of the trap to the throat opening at its farthest point from the vertical wall, inside the trap

· Provides that trap marking buoys be either spherical in shape with a diameter no smaller than 6 inches, or some other shape provided that it is no shorter than 10 inches in the longest dimension and the width at some point exceeds 5 inches

STONE CRAB - TRAP SPECIFICATIONS, CH 46-13, F.A.C. (Effective June 1, 1999)

· Allows the use on stone crab traps of trap lid tie-down straps secured at one end by a loop composed of non-coated steel wire measuring 24 gauge or thinner, 2 X 3/8 inch non-treated pine dowels or squares to replace the hook on tie-down straps, a 3 X 6 inch panel attached to the trap opening with 24 gauge or less wire or single strand jute

· Prohibits the use of a 24 gauge hook or tie-down strap on stone crab traps

STONE CRAB, CH 68B-13, F.A.C. (Effective July 1, 2000)

· Creates an effort management program to control the number of traps deployed in the stone crab fishery

· Merges the statutory provisions found in Chapter 370.13, Florida Statutes (season, license requirements, license moratorium) into the stone crab rule

· Changes the existing stone crab rule by modifying the definition of stone crab, by allowing two endorsements per boat, and by allowing another person to deploy, pull, and retrieve a fisherman’s traps with permission of the owner and theLaw Enforcement

STONE CRAB, CH 68B-13, F.A.C. (Effective July 22, 2001)

· Provides rules to implement the appeals process and other components of the stone crab trap reduction program

· Delays the requirement that fishermen must have tags on stone crab traps until Oct. 1, 2002

· Extends the moratorium on the issuance of new stone crab endorsements until July 1, 2002

STONE CRAB, CH 68B-13, F.A.C. (Effective June 2, 2002)

Increases the number of trap certificates to be allotted by the advisory and appeals board to settle disputes from 100,000 to 180,000, and extends the life of the board to July 1, 2003.

STONE CRAB, CH 68B-13, F.A.C. (Effective July 1, 2003)

· Repeals an obsolete law that limits stone crab trappers in Citrus, Dixie, Levy and Taylor counties to 600 traps each

· Prohibits partial payment of stone crab trap certificate fees

· Extends the Stone Crab Advisory Board through June 30, 2008 as an advisory board only and adjusts its membership qualifications

STONE CRAB, CH 68B-13, F.A.C. (Effective July 15, 2004)

Expands the stone crab trap certificate transfer period so that it occurs from June 15 through March 1 each year.

Allows stone crab trap certificate holders to forfeit, voluntarily and permanently, any number of their certificates.

Allows the biodegradable panel in wire stone crab traps to be oriented either vertically or horizontally.