Spiny lobster research panel planned in Florida Keys

MARATHON, Fla. (AP) - Experts are meeting in the Florida Keys this week to discuss the latest research on the lucrative spiny lobster.

The Citizen reports (https://bit.ly/29IUJrQ ) that the crustacean is the top-grossing marine species in the Keys, generating $70 million in the local economy.

The waters off the island chain account for nearly all the spiny lobster harvest in the U.S.

The research panel hosted by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is set to meet Wednesday in Marathon. Tom Matthews, a lobster biologist for the commission, says the panel gives experts “the freedom to talk about the future of the fishery without the pressure of making current regulations.”

Bill Kelly of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association says current regulations are based on outdated research from the 1990s.

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Information from: The Key West (Fla.) Citizen, https://www.keysnews.com