The commercial and recreation stone crab season has opened! Now is the time to enjoy local stone crab claws. Whether you catch them yourself or buy from a local seafood market, the delicious meat is worth the effort and cost.
There are 2 species of stone crab found along the Gulf Coast. The Florida Stone Crab is found in the southern part of the state, while the Gulf stone crab is found from the Western Panhandle to Mexico.
Stone crabs can be found in holes along oyster reefs, rock jetties and shorelines lined with riprap. Adult stone crabs feed on oysters, mussels, clams, worms and other crustaceans.
Recreational harvesters must have a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing licence and are limited to 5 traps that meet the specifications set by FWC. Maximum trap size is 2″x2″x2″ and traps must have a degradable panel that is 5 ½ inches by 3 ½ inches and is made of cypress or untreated pine slat no thicker than ¾ of an inch. These regulations are to protect marine life from ghost fishing, when traps are abandoned or lost.
The recreational bag limit is one gallon of claws per person or 2 gallons per vessel or which ever is less. Only one crab claw should be taken. Crabs are released alive with one claw intact and are able to feed and defend themselves, which allows the crab to be caught again in the future. The claw that was removed will grow back each time the crab molts. Claws must be 2 3/4 inches in length from the tip of the claws to the first knuckle.
Photo credit FWC
Watch the following video from FWC to learn how to harvest a claw correctly without injuring the crab.
Stone crab claws can be enjoyed cold or hot, in the shell or peeled and in many different dishes. Enjoy stone crab claw meat with mustard dipping sauce, in soup and bisque, crab cakes, salads, etc. Many recipes can found on-line.
Use a butter knife, mallet, claw cracker or hard spoon to crack the shells. If you want to prevent shell from flying around, cover the hand that will hold the claw or the surface that the claw will be cracked on with a dish towel. Gently tap the sections of the claws, until they are cracked, be careful not to break the shell into the meat.
Check out this video to learn how to crack stone crab claws:
For more information on commercial and recreational stone crab claw regulations click here.
Excess aquatic weeds can be a source of frustration for pond owners.
Privately owned ponds and lakes are common across the Panhandle. Ponds can be a source of great enjoyment and frustration for their owners. When all is well a pond is a welcome addition to most any landscape. However, when problems arise pond owners are often times at a loss for how to rectify the situation. Unwanted or excess weeds in a pond is a one of the most common frustrations for pond owners. Luckily, aquatic weed control, an otherwise daunting task, can be manageable if some basic principles are understood.
UF/IFAS extension faculty from Calhoun, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington counties will be presenting a workshop on Thursday, June 12th to help educate pond owners regarding some of the principles of effectively controlling unwanted weeds in their ponds. Topics covered will include pond weed identification, weed control options, aquatic herbicide selection and application, and the use of grass carp for weed control.
The workshop will be held in Chipley at the Washington County Agricultural Center, starting at 6:30 the evening of the 12th. There is a $5 registration fee for this event. Space is limited so early registration is highly encouraged. To register call the Washington County Extension Office at (850)638-6180 or email Mark Mauldin mdm83@ufl.edu
An exciting new event is coming to our area. Northwest Florida’s first Artificial Reef Workshop since 2006 will be held February 19 – 20, 2013 at the Niceville Community Center. The community center is centrally located in the Panhandle and located at 204 N Partin Dr, Niceville, FL 32578. Sessions and guest speakers will provide the latest information regarding Reef Designs, Artificial Reefs and Fisheries Management, Monitoring Tools, Artificial Reef Construction Issues in Inshore and Nearshore State Waters, The Economic Benefits and Impacts of Artificial Reefs in NW Florida, and other artificial reef topics of local interest.
Workshop organizers are seeking additional vendors, sponsors, and/or donations of promotional items. Showcase your business to federal, state and local government, local reef building associations and private reef builders. If you would like to participate as a vendor or contribute as a sponsor please contact Candy Hansard by email candy@ecreef.org or call Scott Jackson at 850-784-6105 to check for space availability. Space is limited, please act soon.
Note: Previous advertised date of workshop has been changed to avoid potential schedule conflict with Gulf Council Meeting.
Sessions and quest speakers will discuss subjects including reef design, fisheries management, monitoring, goals and strategies, construction issues in state waters, economic benefits and impacts, and other topics of interest.
The University of Florida IFAS Extension works towards agricultural, environmental, and economic sustainability in our rapidly growing state and communities. We accomplish this through research-based educational programs, publications, and opportunities provided to you locally.
Please consider donating to the UF IFAS County Extension office in your county. Your monetary gift is greatly appreciated, and will be used to continue our efforts at providing information and education you want and need. To find out more about making donations and endowments to University of Florida IFAS Extension, please contact your County Extension office, or
Joe Mandernach, IFAS Development Office at 352-392-5457 or jmandern@ufl.edu . Thank you!
