An extra day to harvest spiny lobsters is coming to Florida. Here's what to know

Floridians have an extra day to grab lobsters during the annual recreational spiny lobster mini-season in July, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced last month, and beefed up the prize for the 2024 Lionfish Challenge designed to reduce the numbers of the highly invasive species.

DeSantis announced the order last month in Marathon, also pointing out an additional $5 million in funding through the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) for installing, overseeing, and preserving artificial reef habitats in the Florida Keys, in addition to the $57 million set aside for coral reef restoration and coastal protection in the recently-approved state budget.

The extra day is only for Florida residents. Recreational saltwater fishing licenses and spiny lobster permits are required, unless the individual qualifies as exempt.

“Florida has the best fishing and boating in the world because we have the greatest natural resources,” DeSantis said. “That’s why our state is making record investments in protecting our natural treasures, like our coral reefs. Additionally, I was pleased today to announce additional prizes for the annual Lionfish Challenge and an extra day for Floridians to harvest lobster.”

Not everyone was pleased with the extra day.

"We (commercial fishermen) are held to that standard when it comes to science," said Jerome Young, the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen's Association's Executive Director, according to KeysNews.com. "The recreational side should be held to the same standard. They can't just arbitrarily change rules without science. We just don't make these rules. Scientists spend years, decades, to make our fishery sustainable."

The change was made by executive order but FWC board Chair Rodney Barreto said the extra day would not impact the overall health of lobster fishery and called it "a great opportunity to give local people who can't get off of work on a Wednesday or Thursday," KeysNews reported.

When is lobster season in Florida?

Spiny lobster sport season is on July 24-25, 2024, the last consecutive Wednesday and Thursday each July. DeSantis added Sunday, July 14, exclusively for Florida residents.

“We wanna make sure Floridians have adequate opportunity, so I’m happy to announce an additional day for our mini lobster season,” DeSantis said, according to WINK.

During the mini-season, daily bag limits are 12 per person except for Monroe County and Biscayne National Park, where it's six. Traditionally, people competing in the Lionfish Challenge who have caught a certain number or amount in pounds of lionfish were granted permission to keep an additional spiny lobster per day but DeSantis said that number would be increased (see below).

Spiny lobsters may only be harvested by diving or with bully nets or hoop nets, and may not be harvested from federally controlled waters. According to the executive order signed by FWC Executive Director Roger Young, you may not harvest from within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, no-take areas in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, the Biscayne Bay-Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary, or the Coral Reef Protection Areas in Biscayne National Park.

The regular recreational and commercial lobster season runs from Aug. 6, 2024, to March 31, 2025. The daily bag limit during that time is six per person.

What is the Lionfish Challenge?

Lionfish are a nonnative species that has proven to be remarkably adaptive and extremely invasive, disrupting the state's natural reefs and local marine life. They reproduce quickly, compete with native species, and have no natural predators. The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission is fighting back in a very simple way: reward people to catch as many as they can in just three months.

The Lionfish Challenge is a summer-long tournament open to anyone in Florida. It's split into commercial and recreational divers, and fishers in each division compete to harvest the most lionfish (in numbers or by pounds). Winners are crowned the Lionfish King, Queen or Commercial Champion with prizes for different tiers.

The event runs from May 24 to Sept. 2. You can register here or at fwcreefrangers.com. Prizes are awarded by tiers, depending on how many lionfish have been harvested:

• Tier 1: Harvest 25 lionfish (recreational category) or 50 pounds of lionfish (commercial category). Prize: Tournament Shirt & Challenge Coin
• Tier 2: Harvest 75 lionfish (recreational category) or 100 pounds of lionfish (commercial category). Prize: Hammerhead pole spear, gloves, & hat
• Tier 3: Harvest 150 lionfish (recreational category) or 200 pounds of lionfish (commercial category). Prize: Yukon Backpack Dry bag, Zookeeper heat pack, & StingMaster sting cream
• Tier 4: Harvest 300 lionfish (recreational category) or 400 pounds of lionfish (commercial category). Prize: Dive Rite dive light, Dexter filet knife, and 36oz Yeti water bottle
• Tier 5: Harvest 600 lionfish (recreational category) or 800 pounds of lionfish (commercial category). Prize: Turtlebox Speaker

Traditionally, Tier 1 participants keep one additional spiny lobster per day during the Lobster Mini-Season as a prize.

However, DeSantis announced that, this year, Tier 1 participants will get to keep two additional lobsters per day.

Can you eat lionfish?

Yes! According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), "once stripped of its venomous spines, cleaned, and filleted like any other fish, the lionfish becomes delectable seafood fare."

OCEANA describes the lionfish flesh as flaky and buttery, but warns that filleting them takes a delicate touch as the venom is dangerous if touched.

"Because cooking deactivates the venom, don’t worry about that fish fry," the agency said.

Mark H. Bickel, Fort Myers News-Press, contributed to this story.

Editor's note: The executive order was signed by the FWC director, and not as originally reported.