Stone crab season begins in Florida

Why it matters: The stone crab harvest contributes $30 million to Florida's economy each year, according to the University of Florida.

• Ninety percent of all stone crabs are caught in Florida and they are some of the most expensive seafood you can buy, per UF.

How it works: Fishers are only allowed to take a crab's claws — if they're big enough — to allow the limbs to regenerate.

• While it's not a rule, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission suggests only harvesting one claw per crab to give the critter a better chance at survival.
• "The quicker the crab can obtain the energy required to molt and grow its lost claw, the sooner this renewable delicacy will have another claw to replace the missing one," the FWC writes on its website.

Flashback: Joe's Stone Crab — considered Miami's oldest restaurant — helped popularize stone crabs here in the 1920s.

• Joe's celebrates its 113th season on Thursday.

What they're saying: Stephen Sawitz, Joe's great-grandson, told Fine Dining Lovers that the start of stone crab season "kicks off the best time of year in Miami."

• "People get really excited and rush to get the first claws of the season," says Sawitz. "It usually marks the end of the summer heat, and a general excitement just fills the air."

Editor's note: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Stephen Sawitz's last name.