Harvesting Stone Crab | Salt Life Podcast
A few weeks ago I was with host Kieran Anderson from Salt Life to discuss stone crab fishing in Florida and why it’s considered one of the most sustainable forms of fishing.
What is a Stobe Crab?
Stone crabs (Menippe sp.) can be found in both shallow, nearshore waters as well as deep, offshore benthic environments. Their preferred habitats include sandy/muddy bottoms, rocky outcrops, and seagrass beds. Stone crabs can be found on both the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, ranging from North Carolina to Belize, however the Florida Stone Crab Fishery makes up 99% of all stone crab landings in the United States. The stone crab fishery is unique in that only the claws are harvested and the crabs are returned to the water.
When is Stone Crab season in Florida?
The harvest season is only for a limited time, from October 15th to May 1st, to maintain the crab's population. In Florida, it is not legal to harvest whole stone crabs. Visit the FWC website to learn more about the regulations.
What is the limit?
Recreational crab fishers are limited to five baited traps per person and a recreational saltwater fishing license is required by the harvester.
Daily Bag Limit: 1 gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less. Harvest from egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Stone Crabs have a Superpower
Regeneration is the stone crab’s superpower. After a stone crab’s claw is removed and it is returned to the water, it takes several molts for the crab’s claw to regenerate and grow back. This process of molting typically takes an adult stone crab about a year. For younger stone crabs, this molting process can be more frequent, meaning that their claws can grow back in as little as a few months.
The regrown claw will typically come back smaller than the original appendage, but it can grow more and more over time and eventually reach the impressive claw size the stone crab is known for. Stone crabs have a lifespan in the wild of up to eight or nine years, giving them plenty of time to grow into their new pincer.
This process makes the stone crab one of the most sustainable and ethical forms of seafood harvested in the world.
Stone crabs lose claws in two ways: the claw can be forcibly broken off when it is harvested by fishermen or lost in battle; or, a crab can intentionally drop any of its legs or claws if they are damaged or sick.
A stone crab can re-grow either of its claws only if the joint that linked the claw to the body is left intact. This is why it's so important for fishermen to correctly break the claws off of the crabs.
Why are Stone Crabs so Expensive?
The reason fresh stone crab comes at such a premium is because of the short harvest season and how carefully regulated stone crabbing is by the state. Florida’s stone crab season is monitored closely to ensure that stone crabs aren’t over-harvested and that just the claw is removed without harming or killing the crab.
How do you Harvest a Stone Crab Claw?
The crabs have one claw removed, and then they are tossed back into the ocean. The claw must be a minimum of 2 7/8 (73mm) inches long to be removed. Measure from the joint of the elbow to the outer tip. This allows the crabs to continue living and reproducing while regrowing their claw.
For proper claw removal, never twist the claw. Instead, break down with a sharp, quick movement. Another technique is to stick a sharp object into the soft joint mid-way down the claw, a fisher can make the crab drop its claw which avoids damage to the joint that can occur when cracking or clipping the claw off.
The harvesting practices also make stone crabbing one of the most sustainable options.