Mini Season Makes Big Impact on Crews
Story and photos by PA3 James Judge, D7 Public Affairs
MIAMI - Beautiful turquoise waters, plenty of sunshine, red and white dive flags and tons of bugs are all part of one very large event. It seemed as if scuba divers were out on patrol looking to exterminate these bugs, but it's not your typical bug. These bugs are big, they look mean and man oh man do they taste good. It may sound weird, but it's not actually all that strange. In fact you've probably eaten at least one in your lifetime.
Every year the waters surrounding Florida are inundated with thousands of recreational boaters from all over the country on the last Wednesday and Thursday of July to take advantage of Spiny Lobster Sport Season or more commonly known to the locals as Florida's Lobster Mini Season.
Lobster Mini Season is a 48-hour opportunity for recreational boaters to catch the tasty Florida Spiny Lobster, a week before commercial fishermen begin to drop their traps for the regular season.
MARATHON, Fla. - Coast Guard Petty officer 3rd Class Victor Rosario measures the length of the lobster carapace. This lobster is too small. Coast Guard photograph by PA3 James P. Judge, D7 Public Affairs.
The Coast Guard's response missions definitely increase with thousands of people coming to South Florida from all over the country for the two day event.
"It's a time when we expect to respond to a lot of search and rescue cases in South Florida and conduct a lot of fisheries boardings to ensure everyone is following state and federal regulations, said Coast Guard Lt. j.g. Joe Klinker, assistant chief of enforcement for Coast Guard Sector Miami.
Regular lobster season begins Aug. 6 and continues throughout the winter until March 31. The real action happens during the mini season.
The first call for assistance came when the Coast Guard received a report of an injured diver just after 7 a.m. July 6, 2006. Upon arriving on scene, a Coast Guard boat crew from Station Marathon, Fla., realized the man had possibly severed an artery in his left leg. The operator of the boat inadvertently backed over the diver. Coast Guard crew members immediately brought him on board and started providing basic medical treatment as they sped to a nearby marina to transfer him to waiting emergency medical services.
That was just one of many search and rescue cases. Klinker said, Miami alone received 11 reports of missing divers during the 48-hour season.
With so many people on the water, the operational tempo of the Coast Guard jumped significantly, Klinker said. In two days, five people died while diving for lobsters in South Florida, and many more were injured.
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MARATHON, Fla., - These six lobsters were not of legal size and were thrown back into the ocean after being measured by Coast Guard officials. Coast Guard photograph by PA3 James P. Judge, D7 Public Affairs. |
Search and rescue wasn't the only mission where Coast Guard members saw an increase in activity. During the two-day season, crews throughout South Florida conducted more than 400 law enforcement boardings resulting in more than 39 citations.
Certainly, alcohol does play a role. "We have a major increase in boating under the influence during lobster mini season," Klinker stated.
"Anytime we get a lot of boats out there, the amount of alcohol related incidents increase. It's like a party weekend. A lot of people treat it just like a holiday," said Klinker.
Safety is definitely the main concern. "We want people to take the proper safety measures before they get out on the water," Klinker said. "Being prepared is paramount. People need to plan for their day and make sure they have the supplies they need.
"Most importantly, don't let a day of planned fun become costly by becoming complacent with simple measures you can practice to be safe," Klinker added.
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