Stone Crab Fishers Face License Revocation Over Vessel Monitoring Deadline

Fishers holding special licenses for the Florida stone crab season must have an operational Vessel Monitoring System installed on their boats by October 22 or face immediate revocation of those licenses. The Fisheries Department has issued the reminder as the season, which opened on October 1, continues through June 30, 2027.  To assist fishers in Caye Caulker, department technicians will visit the village to install the devices. Installations are scheduled for October twenty-first, from one to five in the afternoon, and October twenty-second, from eight in the morning to two in the afternoon. Special license holders must attend with their vessels at the designated time and location.  The department is also reminding fishers that they must operate within the areas specified in their licenses. Boat captains must ensure that all fishers aboard are licensed for the areas assigned to the vessel. Catch information must be recorded in an official logbook and submitted to a fisheries officer after every trip.  The conditions provide oversight of fishing activity, while placing responsibility on license holders to meet the requirements and the installation deadline. The notice does not specify installation costs or arrangements for fishers who cannot attend the scheduled sessions.  Apart from the immediate revocation of special licenses for failing to meet the monitoring deadline, other violations can result in charges and possible suspension or cancellation of a fisherfolk license.  The public can report illegal fishing activity to the Fisheries Department at 224-4552.