Yesterday marked the beginning of Crawfish Closed Season in The Bahamas.
Remember, from April 1 to July 31, it’s illegal to fish, possess, kill or sell crawfish (i.e., Caribbean spiny lobster).
.jpg)
Crawfish are widely distributed within The Bahamas, Bermuda, the west Indies and South Florida. Unlike the American lobster, our spiny lobsters lack large pinching claws and a rigid fantail. Instead, they boast long whiplike antennae and forward-projecting spines on the front portion of their carapaces.
These national treasures are also one of the most important commercial fisheries in The Bahamas. More than 4 million pounds of crawfish valued at $47 million were landed in 2018 alone, according to a recent Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources report.
Notably, crawfish mate and spawn during the warm summer months. That’s why it’s crucial we leave these beloved crustaceans alone during the Closed Season and give them time to replenish their population numbers.
Please remind your friends and family not to buy or eat crawfish during this time. Your actions today mean we’ll have more crawfish in the long run!
Dive deeper.
Become a PADI Dive Instructor in The Bahamas | Conservation-Focused IDC
Become a PADI Dive Instructor in The Bahamas | Conservation-Focused IDC | Perry Institute for Marine Science Education & Training Ready to take your diving skills to the next level
Stream2Sea Coral Care: The World’s First Reef-Positive Sunscreen
Stream2Sea Coral Care: The World’s First Reef-Positive Sunscreen | Perry Institute for Marine Science Conservation Partners Stream2Sea Coral Care: The World’s First Reef-Positive Sunscreen Discover why PIMS has partnered with
Build a Coral Reef for the Holidays | PIMS x Partanna
PIMS is partnering with Partanna to build a 100m² carbon-negative reef. Rick Fox is matching donations up to $25k. Help us build a sanctuary for the future.
“Seafood Nation” Documentary Premiere Explores the Heart of Bahamian Culture and the Future of Fisheries
NASSAU, The Bahamas | December 5, 2025 – From the bustling stalls of Potter’s Cay to family kitchen tables across the archipelago, seafood is far more than just sustenance in
PIMS and Disney Conservation Fund Partner to Train 19 Government Divers
PIMS dive training in Nassau strengthened national coral restoration capacity across government agencies. Bahamas Dive Training Builds National Coral Restoration Capacity Last fall, between the months of September and October,
Florida’s Coral Reef Crossed a Line: What Functional Extinction Really Means for Elkhorn and Staghorn Corals
Reefs didn’t just bleach. They functionally vanished in one summer. A new Science study co-authored by researchers from the Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS) has found that Florida’s two
