Catch limits and season in the Cayman Islands
List of species and information related to their season dates and catch limits:
LOBSTERS (Panulirus argus)
Closed season: 1 March through 30 November.
Open season catch limit: Three per person or six per boat per day, whichever is less.
Size limit: Six inch tail minimum size.
Only spiny lobster (P. argus) may be taken.
In any one day, no one person may take or permit another person to take, purchase, receive, offer for sale, exchange or donation, or possess more than three lobster from Cayman waters.
CONCH (Strombus gigas)
Closed season: 1 May through 31 October.
Open season catch limit: Five per person or ten per boat per day, whichever is less. (10 per boat with two or more people.)
Only queen conch (S. gigas) may be taken.
In any one day, no one person may take or permit another person to take, purchase, receive, offer for sale, exchange or donation, or possess more than five conch from Cayman waters.
WHELKS
Closed season: 1 May through 31 October. No one may take whelks in Cayman during these months. No one may purchase, receive or possess whelk taken in Cayman during these months.
Open season catch limit: Two-and-a-half gallons in the shell or two-and-a-half pounds of processed whelks per person per day.
No one may purchase or receive more than two-and-a-half gallons in the shell or two-and-a-half pounds processed whelks from Cayman in any one day
Chitons, periwinkles and bleeding teeth may not be taken at any time.
ECHINODERMS
Echinoderms (includes starfish, sea eggs/urchins, sea cucumbers and sand dollars) may not be taken from Cayman waters at any time.
TURTLES
No one may disturb, molest or take turtles in Cayman waters or on Cayman’s beaches without a licence.
Possession of turtle eggs is prohibited.
For licensed fishermen, closed season runs from 1 April through 30 November.
SHARKS & RAYS
May not be taken from Cayman waters at any time.
No one may feed, attempt to feed or provide or use food to attract any shark in Cayman waters.
NASSAU GROUPER (Epinephelus striatus)
Closed season: 1 December through 30 April
Open season catch limit: Five per person or five per boat per day, whichever is less.
Size limit: Only Nassau grouper between 16 inches and 24 inches (inclusive) may be taken from Cayman waters.
No one may take, purchase, receive, permit or possess Nassau grouper from Cayman waters taken in contravention of the above rules.
OTHER FISH
Protected fish: Jew fish (goliath grouper), tilefish (whities), filefish (pipers) and angelfish, including Grey, French and Queen angels (old monks), may not be taken from Cayman waters at any time.
Size limit: Eight-inch minimum size on all other fish except goggle eyes, sprats (herrings, anchovies) and fries (including loggerhead and fine fry; silversides or anchovies). Or lionfish.
Anyone who see suspect poaching can call 911, or DoE enforcement officers directly:
Grand Cayman: 916-4271
Cayman Brac: 926-013
Little Cayman: 916-7021
