COVID-19 Effects on Florida Lobster and Crab Industries

The fishing industry has been negatively impacted by measures to limit the spread of COVID-19, but the impacts are likely to vary by region, fishery, and market segment served. Florida provides an interesting opportunity to study the impacts of COVID-19 in two high-value fisheries: the spiny lobster fishery that is export-oriented and the stone crab fishery that primarily serves domestic markets. Despite their importance to the Florida economy and coastal communities, there is paucity of market information for these fisheries. Understanding how these markets have developed through the pandemic is important for the future profitability of the sectors. We propose to examine secondary data on landings, price, and trade to explore market impacts and developments. This will be complemented by primary data collected through interviews with key industry stakeholders. The project is expected to provide key knowledge in two economically important fisheries in Florida that will improve the profitability of the fisheries and their benefits to local communities.