States have management authority over the lobster fishery 
within the 3-mile territorial limit. Through landing laws, 
States have been able to partially extend their control into 
offshore waters. With the American lobster resource spanning 
11 States and each setting regulations individually, there 
is considerable variation in regulations among the States. 
To help resolve this problem and improve lobster resource 
management, the States and NMFS, through the State-Federal 
Fisheries Management Program, initiated a coordinated lobster 
management effort in 1972. While some improvements have 
been made, progress has generally been slow. 
Florida and Georgia exercise the only management controls 
over the U.S. spiny lobster fishery in the South Atlantic 
and in the Gulf of Mexico. Current management in Florida 
is directed toward preservation of the species. The total 
catch and effort are not limited, however, because the regu- 
lations prohibit taking egg-bearing females, all lobsters 
with carapace lengths less than 76 mm. (about 3 inches), all 
lobsters during the peak-breeding season, March 31 to August 
1, and also restrict the type of gear used. These regula- 
tions have the primary purpose of insuring and maintaining 
the lobster stocks, but do little or nothing to improve 
the economics of the industry. 
Enforcement of these few rules is difficult because of 
the large area involved and the high potential gain/penalty 
ratio for the offender. The success of the management 
scheme is also limited by the natural distribution of the 
spiny lobsters beyond the boundaries of Florida's territorial 
waters. State management thus is unable to control the local 
high seas harvest or the international recruitment potential. 
There are no Federal regulations on spiny lobster fishing in 
the South Atlantic, off Florida, or in the Gulf of Mexico. 
OPPORTUNITIES FOR GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT 
Resource availability 
The American lobster is being overfished, resulting in 
depletion throughout its inshore range along the Atlantic 
coast (within the 12-mile fisheries zone). A study in one 
State concluded that nearly all available legal-size lobsters 
are caught each year. Scientific studies have also shown 
that existing legal minimum-size limits, considered inadequate, 
permit most female lobsters to be caught before they can 
spawn. 
Stock assessments have not been sufficiently complete 
to establish a maximum sustainable yield (MSY) for the 
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