KEY WEST, Fla. - Monroe County commissioners approved a ban on snorkeling and diving near marinas and private shorelines in the Florida Keys during the two-day mini-season for spiny lobsters.

Violators will face a $50 fine. Complaints pour in every year from Keys residents and business owners about eager lobster hunters trampling through mangroves and littering shorelines during the two-day search for the tasty crustaceans.

"It is no secret that these lobster hunters turn neighborhoods into a carnival atmosphere and all the destruction that comes with it," said Sherry Phillips, a Big Pine Key resident who spoke during the meeting.

The law bans diving and snorkeling within 300 feet of residential and commercial shorelines and marinas during the mini-season, which takes place the last Wednesday and Thursday each July, the Key West Citizen reported for Thursday editions.

Similar ordinances have passed in Islamorada, Marathon and Key Colony Beach (Note: Key Colony Beach has extended dates.) The county rule would apply to all unincorporated areas in the island chain.

Each of the above cities ordinances are similar to the Monroe County ordinance. There are minor differences in each, including the amounts of fines and dates applicable. You can click on the above links, for each city, and read the specific ordinance. It might be a good idea to print out the ordinance for the area you plan to be lobstering.

The mini-season was created in 1987 to ease the pressure of the first day of the commercial harvest and attract tourists.