Bill Kelly, executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association, informed that they wouldn’t mind a repeat of last season when they make their first pull as the new season dawns Saturday. He added that indications shows this year season would be exceptional.
The 2010-11 season marked an upsurge in harvests, returning to a statewide haul of about 5.6 million pounds, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reports. Of that, 5 million pounds were taken in Keys waters. Stock Island Lobster Co. owner Peter Bacle said that sudden rise in the demand from China and Asia caused a spike in dockside prices after a dismal 2009-10 season.
A legal-sized spiny lobster typically weighs 1 pound, according to state experts. Wholesale prices for dockside catches last season averaged more than $6 a pound for iced lobster — and sometimes exceeded $12 per pound for live lobster.
