One of Floridians' favorite local foods should be back on the menu, with the opening of stone crab season on Thursday.
Stone crab claws are making their way to docks, fishhouses and restaurants, with hopes for another good season. The 2014-2015 season was the most lucrative ever, said Ryan Gandy, a research scientist with the state Fish and Wildlife Research Institute in St. Petersburg.
Total landings valued were estimated at $31 million. That's because the price per pound was high, Gandy said. The total volume of stone crabs brought in was lower than normal, though, about 2.1 million pounds.
Monitoring stations throughout the state are showing catch levels a little higher or about the same as last year, Gandy said. And there's more reason to hope.
"We've got a lot of rough weather coming and usually that gets crabs moving around," he said.
Stone crabs are a prized Florida delicacy, popular at seafood stands and upscale restaurants like the eponymous Joe's Stone Crab in Miami Beach, which closes during the off-season.
They're even the focus of an annual eating contest — based on speed, not volume — at Keys Fisheries in Marathon. This year's contest is scheduled for noon on Saturday, Oct. 17. The first person to crack and eat 25 claws wins.
