Recreational and commercial blue crab traps in all waters of the St. Johns River system must be removed from the water before Jan. 16, the first day of a 10-day trap closure, the FWC said in a news release Monday.
The brief closure allows groups authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the water.
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The closure includes all waters of the St. Johns River system and its associated lakes and tributaries from west of the St. Johns River’s intersection with the Intracoastal Canal, through and including Lake Hellen Blazes in Brevard County.
Traps can be placed back in the water in this area starting Jan. 26. Although the closure might be reduced if the groups determine the number of lost and abandoned traps in the region will take less time to remove.
Until the trap season reopens, blue crabs may be harvested with other gear, such as dip nets and fold-up traps. Blue crab harvesters may also use standard blue crab traps during the closure if the traps are attached to a dock or other private property.
It is important to remove lost and abandoned blue crab traps because they can continue to trap crabs and fish when left in the water, can damage sensitive habitats and pose navigational hazards to boaters on the water.
The closure is one of three regional, 10-day blue crab trap closures in 2024 on the Atlantic coast of Florida. There are six regional closures total: three in odd-numbered years on the west coast and three in even-numbered years on the east coast.
For more information regarding the FWC’s trap-retrieval program, blue crab trap closure dates, and regulations and cleanup events, go online to MyFWC.com/Marine and click “Traps and Debris.” For additional information, call 850-487-0554.