Planning Commish Wants Discussion on Lobster Mini-Season

A push to end lobster mini-season in Florida Keys waters drew the notice of Monroe County Planning Commissioners on July 29.

Planning Commissioner William Wiatt urged his fellow commissioners to speak to Monroe County commissioners in support of “a working group … to discuss and evaluate the current regulations, specifically in county waters, that govern lobstering during” mini-season,” say draft minutes of the Planning Commission’s session in Marathon.

Wiatt pointed to a “Cancel Lobster Mini Season for the Florida Keys” page on Facebook that has drawn more than 3,300 “likes.”

Wiatt, a Middle Keys charter captain and biochemist, said he saw “between 80 to 100 wrung lobster heads around holes in the Florida Bay” on the day before last month’s two-day sport season.

Wiatt said “poor behavior was rewarded” when mini-season was created to keep lobster divers off newly placed lobster traps, meeting minutes show.

Three other planning commissioners agreed to pursue the new working group.

The Monroe County Planning Commission meets again at 10 a.m. Aug. 26 at the Marathon Government Center.

I

Source: Keys planning commissioner wants discussion about lobster mini-season