Stone Crab Season Off To Promising Start In Florida Keys

WLRN Public Media | By David Goodhue

Published October 16, 2018 at 3:03 PM EDT

So far the stone crab harvest looks good, at least in the Florida Keys.

The state’s stone crab fishery should expect to take a hit this season from the red tide algae bloom that’s been plaguing Florida’s west coast for months, but the Keys, which accounts for 65 percent of the harvest of the sought-after claws, does not appear to be affected.

The eight-month commercial season began Monday, with fishermen pulling traps that have been soaking for the past 10 days. Monday afternoon, boats were still coming back from the water, but Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishing Association, said captains were reporting a promising first day.

“They’re still making their first pulls, but production doesn’t look awfully bad in the Florida Keys,” Kelly said. “As far as red tide, the Keys, it doesn’t look like there is going to be any impact.”

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