Lobster season to close  

Dana Malcolm 

Staff Writer 

#TurksandCaicos, March 23, 2023 – Lobster Season in the Turks and Caicos will officially close in just over a week. It is illegal to fish for lobster in The Turks and Caicos’ waters during this time and the Department of Fisheries and Marine Resources Management (FMRM) “is urging all fishers, restaurant owners, private residents, and plant owners to ensure that no lobster remains in their possession as of Saturday, April 1st, 2023, to July 31, 2023.”  

The closed season which strategically coincides with the breeding season gives lobsters a chance to spawn or restore their population.  

Thousands of pounds of lobster are caught during lobster season in the Turks and Caicos. On opening day last year, over 13,000 pounds were drawn in. Without this break, where they are left to breed, the lobster population would dwindle significantly. That would be a major blow to the local fishing; which as it stands, is TCIs #2 industry.  

During the closed season, anyone who breaks the law by fishing for purchasing or is in possession of lobster, is liable to pay a fine of $5,000, or six-months imprisonment or both.