Florida Turtle Extruders Now Required

Started by TheGoschman, March 06, 2023, 10:39:17 PM

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TheGoschman

Just curious....I haven't been crabbing in Fl very long, but I've never caught or even seen a turtle anywhere near NSB/Edgewater/Oak Hill/Titusville area. Has anyone ever found one in one of their traps??

captaincrab55

Quote from: TheGoschman on March 06, 2023, 10:39:17 PM
Just curious....I haven't been crabbing in Fl very long, but I've never caught or even seen a turtle anywhere near NSB/Edgewater/Oak Hill/Titusville area. Has anyone ever found one in one of their traps??
Last summer I saw a turtle over 12" and caught a smaller one in a ring net, while crabbing neat the North Causeway Drawbridge.  SHELLFISH actually pointed out the bigger turtle.
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SHELLFISH

The turtle we saw at the north causeway Buena Vista Park was a Green Sea Turtle.
There are many other species of turtles in crabbing water most notable are the softshell Turtle (up to 16") and the Yellow Bellied Slider (to about 12"). Both species are common.
The turtle excluders for crab traps are aimed for reducing mortality in Diamonbacked Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin; females to about 8"). These are very rare in our area of Mosquito Lagoon but can be found in the lower reaches of the Lagoon around Orange Island.  They are more common in the Tomoka Basin and Park.
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jack1747

Quote from: SHELLFISH on March 07, 2023, 08:28:41 AM

The turtle excluders for crab traps are aimed for reducing mortality in Diamonbacked Terrapins (Malaclemys terrapin; females to about 8"). These are very rare in our area of Mosquito Lagoon but can be found in the lower reaches of the Lagoon around Orange Island.  They are more common in the Tomoka Basin and Park.

I have mixed feelings.  :-\  We have lots of terrapins.  I have excluders on all my peeler pot but still kill a lot in the spring.  I guess it's about 99% males which are smaller and can still get in.  They love peelers/soft crabs.
"Helping to Moderate the BCA since 2003" "I've gotten to the point in my life where I no longer give a [shiz] what people think, I'm not going to take any [shiz], because, frankly my dears, I am NOT in the [shiz] business." Quote from Suzy. :-)

Hawkeye

Quote from: jack1747 on March 07, 2023, 09:10:49 AM
I have mixed feelings.  :-\  We have lots of terrapins.  I have excluders on all my peeler pot but still kill a lot in the spring.  I guess it's about 99% males which are smaller and can still get in.  They love peelers/soft crabs.

That sucks.  But juvis/small terrapins already have the odds stacked against them...lost in your pot or in the belly of a heron.  Or if in FL _ the belly of a gator.

The excluder is to help protect the larger breeder terappins...so in that respect they work?  (i hope). 

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Hawkeye

Quote from: SHELLFISH on March 07, 2023, 08:28:41 AM
The turtle we saw at the north causeway Buena Vista Park was a Green Sea Turtle.

Those only grow to 4 feet... :laugh:  When you pulled the ring net did you think you had a jumbo#1?   ;)  Dang if that was me crabbing with my kids, they'd stop trying to catch crabs and take pics with the green sea turtle just to oooh and aaah it.  They do that with a terrapin already - I can't imagine what they would do with a green sea turtle!

witch1031

Turtles are everywhere in the river.  I have had them sit on my dip nets, you can feel them move off.  I have caught 1 in a dipnet but I see them all the time.

A few years ago I saw a man hook a baby loggerhead right by the shell, he literally tried to put it in his cooler and take it home.  I warned him and another person on the dock offered to call FWC if he didn't let it go.  Man, some people...

jack1747

"Helping to Moderate the BCA since 2003" "I've gotten to the point in my life where I no longer give a [shiz] what people think, I'm not going to take any [shiz], because, frankly my dears, I am NOT in the [shiz] business." Quote from Suzy. :-)

captaincrab55

Jack,  That's a Great Youtube link about terrapins/turtles.  Thanks
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Once BANNED for speaking the Truth, but Jack got that corrected.   Thank You to Jack.
TRUST ME !!!!

SHELLFISH

Yes it's a very good video! Thanks for the link Jack!
Retired in paradise!

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Hawkeye


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