Lobstering...."Giving Back" during the off season?

[Bob01]

Hey All,

I was just reading about reefballs, and saw they had an interesting product - "LobsterCulture"

- Part of its design is to enable the feeding of lobsters...

Anyway...this got me thinking for perhaps the very few spots I might encounter (that I can hope not too many other divers know about), that during the off season (maybe also during season), that one could place (into a heavily populated crevice, etc) a 1-2' pvc segment drilled with holes with removable side caps, and stuffed with catfish food and weights. With every now and then when they know they would pass by "their" spot and swap it out with a fresh one?

I was thinking this might be a good idea since, the female lobsters would hopefully be more productive with the eggs and juvenile lobsters may have a better chance at survival. Good things for the diver, The feeling that they just aren't taking all the time and helping ensure this resource stays in good shape. Positive potential side effects, if they divers visit often with the goodies, the lobsters that frequent that spot will get bigger, faster (keeping fingers crossed you get to them first) and perhaps more lobsters would be attracted to the area.

I know your not suppose to harvest lobsters from "artificial habitats" (ie cut oil drums/lobster hotels, etc), but would feeding them (though I suppose the words chumming and baiting for them could be implied) also be prohibited?

Well anyway just an idea,

Bob

 

[fl-diver]

I think lobsters are pretty good at finding food so you probably don't need to feed them. Also I think putting PVC pipes in the ocean is called littering regardless of the good intentions you might have.

 

[Johnoly]

Maybe you could sell the lobsters also and make your money back?

 

[suprasteve]

if i'm not mistaken theres some b***s*** law about it being illegal for recreational fishermen to take lobsters from anything not natural, that would include old traps, cement blocks, the thing above. I'm not saying I've followed that one to a T, but I'm pretty sure I read that somewhere (or they were trying to pass it, can't remember), can someone confirm/refute that?

 

[OceanMist333]

So, you can't take lobsters from traps??

 

[Scott L]

So, you can't take lobsters from traps??

Not unless you have a death wish!

 

[FredT]

Back in the dark ages of FL lobbie condos were common.
The best ones I've seen were pipes or concrete blocks appropriately stacked and anchored well out of visibility of any reef structure.

Somebody in the regulatory world however got their panties in a wad about not getting a permit fee cut for the "recreational" condos, and a few of the commercials were were dropping them in the back bay, which the feds now control. We all know the universal answer to anything asked of the federales is NO!

Strangely enough the recreational and commercial bug divers can't use them, but it seems ok to plant wooden traps around known condo locations.