New Spiny Lobster Framework Safeguards Legitimate Catch and Strengthens Oversight

Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Mining, Hon. Floyd Green, has indicated that the Fisheries (Spiny Lobster) Regulations, 2026, now in full effect, will resolve an “unintended contradiction” that had surfaced in the previous regulatory framework.

The 2026 Regulations, first introduced during the Minister’s Sectoral Debate presentation in 2025, were gazetted on March 23, 2026, and replaces the Fishing Industry (Spiny Lobster) Regulations, 2009.

Speaking in the House of Representatives on Tuesday (April 14), Minister Green explained that the new regulations permit fishers who caught spiny lobster during the open season to legally sell, store, process, or export their catch during the closed season.

“For too long, our fishers and fishing communities have operated within a system that created an unintended contradiction. They harvest spiny lobster lawfully during the open season, investing their time, their fuel and their labour to bring in a legitimate catch. Yet the moment the closed season begins, that very product becomes commercially stranded,” he outlined.

Under the previous regulations, lobster fishers had approximately 21 days to sell, export, or process their catch during the local closed season, which spanned April 1 to June 30.

Individuals or businesses wishing to store or export spiny lobster beyond the initial 21 days of the closed season were required to submit a request to the National Fisheries Authority (NFA).

Failure to comply would have resulted in a fine of up to $3 million or two years’ imprisonment, with any lobster found subject to seizure.

“The system did not distinguish between illegal harvesting and legitimate stock that was already in circulation. It also created a gap in the market during the closed season, where businesses that depend on lobster had limited lawful avenues through which to access supply,” the Minister explained.

He noted that the gap in the market often incentivised fishers to engage in illegal activities to recoup their investments, thereby perpetuating the very issues the regulations were designed to eliminate.

“What these [new] regulations do is correct that deficiency in a structured and controlled way. They establish a clear legal framework that allows lobsters which have been lawfully harvested during the open season to be declared, accounted for and then handled within a regulated system during the closed period,” Minister Green said.

He announced that the NFA will exercise strict oversight to ensure that the storage, processing, sale, and export of spiny lobster during the closed season are conducted legally.

Mr. Green strongly emphasised, however, that fishing for spiny lobster during the closed season remains strictly prohibited under the 2026 regulations.

“During the closed season, the regulations prohibit capture, possession or sale of undersized lobsters or lobsters carrying eggs, and require that such lobsters be returned to the sea immediately,” he stated.

Minister Green maintained that protecting breeding stock and allowing juvenile lobsters to mature are essential to sustaining a healthy and resilient population.

He further advised that the updated regulations will strengthen these protections.