Man arrested, accused of possessing undersized lobsters in Florida Keys

Man arrested, accused of possessing undersized lobsters in Florida Keys

A North Carolina man was arrested Saturday for harvesting undersized lobsters, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.

Read more Nasty weather, disabled plane causes travel delays in South Florida

Lower Keys Marine Deputy Luis Guiardinu was on patrol around 2:14 p.m. near Sunshine Key when he spotted several people harvesting lobsters, the sheriff’s office said in a Sunday statement. Joe Lopez, 37, of Raleigh, North Carolina, was found in possession of four undersized lobsters and taken to jail.

It is illegal to harvest lobster in Florida using a speargun. During season, the carapace of the lobster, the part that is not the tail, must be longer than 3 inches. The regular recreational and commercial spiny lobster season runs from Aug. 6 through March 31.

Read more Man arrested, accused of possessing undersized lobsters in Florida Keys

The FWC’s hotline to report conservation violations is 888-404-3922 or online at MyFWC.com/WildlifeAlert.

Read more Teen motorcyclist, girl killed in Deerfield Beach crash, sheriff’s office says

Miami Herald staff writer David Goodhue contributed to this report.

Post Comment