Belize Lobster Season Opens July 1 With Strict Regulations

The Fisheries Department issued a reminder today of Belize’s lobster fishing season that officially opens on Wednesday, July 1. The open season for the Caribbean Spiny Lobster will run through February 28, 2027, and will allow licensed fishers to harvest the species in accordance with the Fisheries Resource Act and its subsidiary regulations. Officials are urging fishers to follow the country’s lobster fishery regulations to help protect the valuable marine resources. Under the law, lobsters must have a minimum carapace length of three inches or a minimum tail weight of four ounces before they can be legally harvested. The Fisheries Department also reminds fishers that it is illegal to possess soft-shell, or moulting, lobsters, as well as female lobsters carrying eggs, commonly known as berried females. Removing eggs from female lobsters is also prohibited. In addition, fishers, vendors, and establishments are advised that lobster tails must not be filleted or diced, allowing fisheries officers to verify that harvested lobster meets the legal size requirements. According to the Fisheries Department, these regulations are essential to conserving Belize’s lobster population.