Press Release – Belize City, Belize – September 25, 2024 – The Fisheries Department takes this opportunity to inform 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 opens from October 1, 2024, to June 30th, 2025.
Fishers and the public are encouraged to follow the Stone Crab fishery regulations:
1) A person who intends to fish or export stone crab shall apply to the Fisheries Administrator for a stone crab fishing or export license.
2) A person who intends to fish for the stone crab using a trap shall apply to the Fisheries Administrator for authorization.
3) No person is authorized to take stone crab using a plastic trap shall take stone crab unless the trap has:
a) An escape gap of the aperture of not less than 2 3/8 inches along one side of the trap, other than the mouth; and
b) A biodegradable panel
4) No person shall fish, sell, display, offer for sale, buy, or have in his possession any stone crab during the period from 1 July to 30th September. A person licensed to fish for stone crabs may set a trap in the fisheries waters of Belize from the 15th of September but is not allowed to harvest any crab.
5) No person shall retain on board, tranship, store, sell, display, offer for sale, buy or have in possession:
a) Claws with a propodus length of less than 3 inches, and
b) The carapace or body of a stone crab
6) Any person who catches a stone crab shall release it into the sea immediately after the claw has been removed from the area it was caught.
7) No person shall use any device for taking stone crabs that can puncture, crush or injure the body of a stone crab.
8) No person shall fish for the stone crab unless equipped with a ruler or caliper on-board the vessel.
The Fisheries Department advises the Public to report any illegal fisheries activity by calling the telephone number: 224-4552 or by emailing: Fisheries department a fisheries.gov.bz END
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