Monroe County Sheriff’s Office 2024 lobster mini season wrap up

Wednesday:

  • An adult male diving for lobster near the Boca Chica Bridge in the Lower Keys was reportedly struck by a boat propeller and flown to a Miami hospital via Trauma Star at approximately 8:09 a.m. Wednesday. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is the investigating agency.
  • The were no reported injuries after the Sheriff’s Office rescued four people from a vessel that was taking on water near Mile Marker 39 on the oceanside at approximately 11:33 a.m. Wednesday. The U.S. Coast Guard and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission were notified.
  • A person diving for lobster approximately one mile offshore of Tavernier on the oceanside found a package of suspected cocaine at approximately 2:14 p.m. Wednesday. The package was turned over to the U.S. Border Patrol.

Thursday: There were no major incidents Thursday reported directly related to mini season.

Overall, the 2024 lobster mini season was typical for the Sheriff’s Office. Most people were in compliance and the number of vessel stops, notice-to-appear in court citations, and arrest figures were normal/typical compared to recent years.

The following are the combined numbers for Wednesday and Thursday from all four Sheriff’s Office Districts from Key Largo to Key West. These numbers do not include data from our law enforcement partners such as the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the Florida Highway Patrol, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the U.S. Coast Guard:

  • Approximately 504 vessel stops/resource/safety inspections
  • No physical arrests
  • Approximately 12 mandatory notice to appear in court citations for wildlife violations — mostly for possession of undersized lobster.
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