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Title: July 1: Lobster Season Begins
Tags: lobster, fishing, Yucatan
Article: The lobster fishermen are getting their equipment and nets all in good working order in preparation for the beginning of lobster season on July 1. Lobster is the third largest catch by our fishermen, behind mere (grouper) and pulpo. The goal for this year is 300 tons, the equivalent of 200 tons of lobster tails, and the fishermen are in hopes of being able to at least match the 450 pesos per kilo ($33.15 USD/kilo or $15.07 USD/lb) they were getting for lobster tails when the season closed at the end of February. The minimum size lobsters they are allowed to keep are those with a tail length of 13.5 centimeters.   There are 24 ships in the large commercial fishing fleet, and they employ approximately 1,200 fishermen. In addition, there will be 500 individual boats, each with their own small crew. The areas they fish include: San Felipe, Rio Lagartos, Dzilam de Bravo and El Cuyo.   The largest market for Yucatan's lobsters is in the tourist zone in Cancun. The second largest market is in the restaurants right here along the coast of Yucatan. Only after that, and if supply meets demand, is it possible to export lobster to the U.S. and Europe. There has been no exportation of lobsters from Yucatan since 2006. Overfishing caused their numbers to drop dramatically. However, with the new bans on fishing during the reproductive cycle, it is believed that this problem may have  been resolved. This year should give us a great deal of information concerning whether the temporary ban on lobster fishing has done its job or not.   In the meantime, think about the fact that it is only a little more than two weeks until lobster season begins. Sounds like a call for recipes to me!