These lobsters were clearly under-sized, Keys police say

A Broward County man was cited in the Keys for catching three “very small” Florida spiny lobsters Wednesday, according to Keys police.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Nelson Sanchez was patrolling in the bay on his boat near Founders Park at mile marker 87 in Islamorada when he stopped Nicholas Calderon, 26, of Margate to check his catch.

Calderon caught the lobsters while diving. Sanchez measured the three crustaceans and they were well under-sized. A Florida spiny lobster’s carapace — the part that is not the tail — must be at least 3 inches long. The ones Calderon caught were clearly too small, said Adam Linhardt, spokesman for the Sheriff’s Office.

Measuring must be conducted in the water.

Calderon told Sanchez he did not know his catch was undersized because he did not have a measuring device.

Sanchez wrote Calderon a mandatory notice-to-appear in court citation., Linhardt said.