OPERATION
"Freezer Burn"
The Florida Keys have always had a complicated relationship with the spiny lobster. For generations, divers have chased the prized crustaceans through the clear waters surrounding the islands.
But some fishermen discovered a way to make finding lobster much easier. They built houses for them.
Known as “Casitas,” or little houses, these crude underwater shelters were usually made from sheets of metal or other flat material elevated a few inches above the seafloor. To a lobster looking for somewhere to hide during the day, they made attractive shelters.
To an illegal fisherman, they could become underwater lobster traps.
One of the largest operations involving Casitas centered around Lower Keys commercial fisherman we’ll call “Mr. D” in 2008. The investigation became known as Operation Freezer Burn.
Federal and state investigators began watching Mr. D. and his associates after learning they were using artificial lobster habitats in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Investigators eventually tracked D’s boat and witnessed approximately 140 pounds of lobster being harvested during the closed season. When authorities searched the operation, they discovered a massive frozen stockpile. Approximately 650 pounds of lobster tails were found in one freezer, while court records described roughly 1,500 pounds of lobster tails being stockpiled for later sale.
Then came the opening of commercial lobster season.
Authorities intercepted the group after approximately 922 lobsters had been harvested. The catch was estimated to be worth more than $59,000.
The underwater operation was just as extensive.
Investigators found hundreds of artificial lobster habitats scattered across the Keys. Federal records associated with the case identified more than 700 illegal Casitas requiring removal. Later surveys found approximately 1,500 Casitas in Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary waters.
The structures weren't just an illegal way to concentrate lobster. They could also damage the environment. Sitting directly on the seafloor, Casitas could smother seagrass, coral, sponges and other marine life. During storms, some could move across the bottom, scraping and damaging habitat.
Mr.D. was ultimately convicted along with five other people.
He was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. He was also prohibited from fishing in the Southern District of Florida and adjacent waters for five years.
Authorities seized three boats and three vehicles, and two Florida Keys properties were eventually sold.
But the biggest price tag came from the environmental damage.
A civil settlement resulted in a $1.1 million penalty connected to the illegal habitats and restoration work. It wasn't simply a million-dollar fine for possessing lobster. Much of the money was intended to pay for finding and removing the underwater structures.
That cleanup became a massive operation of its own.
NOAA used side-scan sonar, autonomous underwater vehicles and information from a confiscated GPS device to locate the Casitas.
Beginning in 2014, divers went underwater, attached ropes and lift bags to the structures, and brought them to the surface. Boats then hauled the debris away for recycling or disposal.
During the major removal effort, NOAA reported recovering nearly 940 illegal Casitas and associated pieces of debris from 306 locations.
The estimated removal cost alone was approximately $566,000.
The case demonstrated why authorities considered Casitas such a serious threat. A fisherman no longer had to search miles of reef looking for lobster. He could simply return to an artificial shelter where lobster had already gathered.
What looked like a simple sheet of metal sitting a few inches above the bottom had effectively become a private underwater lobster collection point.
And in the Florida Keys, that little “house” ultimately became a very expensive place to live.
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Nautical Mile Magazine
