Stone Crab Special License Conditions & VMS Installation Schedule

The Fisheries Department informs all fishers and the public that, in accordance with the Fisheries Resources Act and Statutory Instrument No. 108 of 2022, the Florida Stone Crab (Menippe mercenaria) fishing season is officially open from October 1, 2026, to June 30, 2027. All license holders are hereby reminded that they must comply with the following conditions:
1. Fishing activities must be carried out strictly within the areas specified in the license.
2. Boat captains must ensure that all fishers on board are licensed in accordance with the areas assigned to the vessel.
3. Catch data must be recorded on an official catch logbook and submitted after every trip to a fisheries officer.
4. The license holder must ensure that a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) device is fully installed and operational on the vessel no later than October 22, 2026. Failure to comply with this requirement by the specified date shall result in the immediate revocation of this special license.
5. All general Fisheries Regulations must be observed at all times.
Failure to comply with any of the above conditions will result in charges specific to the offense and may lead to the suspension or cancellation of your fisher folk license, in accordance with the Fisheries Resources Act.
VMS Installation Notice for Caye Caulker Fishers
Please be advised that Department technicians will be deployed to Caye Caulker Village to install Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) devices for all special license holders, in accordance with the following schedule:
• October 21, 2026: 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm
• October 22, 2026: 8:00 am to 2:00 pm
All fishers holding a special license must ensure they are present with their vessels at the designated time and location.
The Fisheries Department advises the public to report any illegal fisheries activity by calling 224-4552 or by emailing fisheries_department@fisheries.gov.bz.