Whether you had a fruitful haul from the sea or tough sledding, the legal side of the Keys’ lobster mini-season was business as usual, according to the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office.
Across all four MCSO districts from Key Largo to Key West, officers reported about 560 total resource checks across the two-day season. There were no physical arrests, no reported deaths, and 22 citations issued, the sheriff’s office said.
On July 29, Lower Keys deputies responded to reports of an injured turtle near the Shark Key boat ramp. Rescue personnel from the Turtle Hospital in Marathon responded and brought the turtle in for treatment alive.
The same day, FWC, the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy collaborated to find three missing divers who became separated from their boat off Duck Key.
“Overall, the 2026 lobster mini season was typical for the sheriff’s office,” officials with MCSO said in a press release. “Most people were in compliance and the number of resource checks, notice-to-appear in court citations, and arrest figures were normal/typical compared to recent years.”
Combining patrols from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Miami and Sector Key West, Coast Guard crews inspected more than 1,500 lobsters and issued 41 violations throughout the two-day season, officials said via social media.
