Yesterday was the last Harbour Nights of 2014, which is when the shops in town stay open late, there are craft stalls all along Front Street and the Gombeys perform as well. It's quite good fun, but really aimed at tourists - watching tourists ride their bikes (motor) along when the road is shut to traffic is also quite entertaining.
Anyway, as one "lobster" season draws to a close, the Bermuda lobster season has just begun. Catching, cooking or eating local spiny lobster is banned from 1 April - 31 August each year to protect them from overfishing. At the end of March, the Lobster Pot restaurant in town was packed with people eating the last Bermuda lobster for five months. Obviously, you can still get Maine lobster which has been shipped in even when its not lobster season.
Even in season, the rules on lobster fishing are very strict - you can only catch them in certain places and only using certain methods (with a noose). It's illegal to fish for lobster using scuba equipment so you have to free dive and you are not allowed to use a spear either and if they are carrying eggs you have to put them back. With a personal lobster licence you can catch up to two lobster per person per day only. You're also not allowed to kill them out at sea because the authorities might want to check them - and there's a fine of up to $50,000 if you break the rules apparently!
Note: a "lobster" is a local derogatory term for a tourist, but not because of the sunburn... it's because "all de meat is in de tail". Perhaps a bit harsh given that obesity is as big a problem here as it is in the US.
