Recreational and commercial blue crab traps may be placed back in all waters of Brevard through Palm Beach counties starting Aug. 14. This regional blue crab trap closure applied to all waters of Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach counties.

Lost and abandoned blue crab traps are a problem in the blue crab fishery because they can continue to trap crabs and fish when left in the water. They can also be unsightly in the marine environment, damage sensitive habitats and pose navigational hazards to boaters on the water. Closures such as this give groups authorized by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) the opportunity to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from the water.

This closure is one of three regional, 10-day blue crab trap closures in 2022 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.