Marty Wade with a red snapper.
Red Snapper Season - Gulf
Action: Recreational red snapper open weekends in August
Information: The state recreational and federal private recreational red snapper seasons will be open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through Sept. 4, including Monday Sept. 4.
In Gulf state waters, this change applies to all recreational anglers, including those fishing from for-hire vessels.
In Gulf federal waters, the season change only applies to anglers fishing on private recreational vessels. Federally permitted for-hire vessels had a separate season.
Links for more information:
Bay Scallops – Gulf County
Action: Season postponed
Information: The bay scallop season in state waters from the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County through the westernmost point of St. Vincent Island in Franklin County has been postponed until further notice. This postponement is a precautionary measure due to a naturally occurring algae bloom that affects shellfish and can cause health effects in humans that consume contaminated shellfish, oysters, or clams.
All areas outside of the Gulf County region are not affected by the algae bloom and remain open to harvest.
Links for more information:
Hogfish
Action: Regulations changes in state and federal waters effective Aug. 24
Information: Starting Aug. 24, several changes to hogfish management will go into effect in state and federal waters. Approved changes include:
- Lowering the Atlantic recreational daily bag limit from five to one fish per harvester
- Setting an Atlantic recreational harvest season of May 1 through Oct. 31
- Increasing the Atlantic recreational and commercial minimum size limit from 12 to 16 inches fork length
- Increasing the Gulf recreational and commercial minimum size limit from 12 to 14 inches fork length
- Setting the minimum importation and sale size limit to 14 inches fork length statewide.
Links for more information:
Commission Meeting – Orlando
Marine Fisheries items discussed July 10-11
Information: The FWC Commission listened to public testimony on and discussed several marine fisheries management items at the July 10-11 meeting in Orlando.
Approved regulation changes (final decisions on these topics made at this meeting):
- Gag grouper: Approved a Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 recreational season in state waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor counties, in addition to the current April 1 through June 30 season for these four counties. Gulf state waters outside of that area (excluding Monroe County) and all Gulf federal waters are open June 1 through Dec. 31. Also approved changing the commercial minimum size limit for gag grouper from 22 to 24 inches. The size limit change will go into effect after similar pending federal regulations are approved.
- Gray triggerfish: Directed staff to issue an executive order opening gray triggerfish in Gulf state waters for a limited fall 2017 season. This season will be posted online and a press release will be issued once the season has been determined. The Commission also approved the following measures for Gulf state waters: increasing the recreational size limit from 14 to 15 inches fork length in Gulf state waters, decreasing the recreational bag limit from two to one fish per person per day in Gulf state waters, and creating a closed season from Jan. 1 through the end of February, starting in 2018, while maintaining the June 1 through July 31 closed season that is already in place. These changes will go into effect after similar federal measures are approved.
Draft regulation changes (these items were discussed and will be brought back to a future meeting for final decision):
- Cobia: Commission approved draft changes to be brought back to the Commission meeting in September for a final public hearing including defining all state waters north of the Monroe-Collier county line as Gulf state waters for the purpose of cobia management, increasing the minimum size limit in Gulf state waters from 33 inches to 38 inches fork length, reducing the commercial trip limit from two to one fish per person per day in Gulf state waters, and reducing the recreational and commercial vessel limit to two per vessel per day in Gulf state waters.
Discussions:
- Sheepshead and Tripletail: The Commission discussed several draft changes for statewide management of these two species but did not take action and directed staff to gather more input from commercial and recreational stakeholders on potential changes.
- Federal fishery Congressional and management updates
Links for more information:
Goliath Grouper Workshops
Action: Share your input on goliath grouper management
Information: FWC is hosting several workshops to gather public input on goliath grouper management, including the possibility of a limited harvest in Florida state waters.
Workshops will be from 5 to 8 p.m. local time at the following dates and locations (see link below for details including event addresses):
- July 31: Lake Worth
- Aug. 1: Key West
- Aug. 2: Marathon
- Aug. 3: Key Largo
- Aug. 8: Crystal River
- Aug. 9: Carrabelle
- Aug 16: Pensacola
- Aug. 17: Panama City
- Oct. 9: Jacksonville
- Oct. 10: Titusville
- Oct. 11: Stuart
- Oct. 12: Davie
- Oct. 16: Pinellas Park
- Oct. 17: Port Charlotte
- Oct. 18: Naples
If you cannot attend an in-person meeting, submit comments online by visiting MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments. Staff is working on a virtual workshop that should be available online in the near future.
Links for more information:
Spotted Seatrout Workshops
Information: FWC staff will host several spotted seatrout workshops in July and August across the state to gather public input on management of this species and to discuss results of the recent spotted seatrout stock assessment.
Workshops will be from 6 to 8 p.m. local time the following dates and locations (see link below for details including event addresses):
- July 25: Carrabelle
- July 26: Panama City
- July 27: Pensacola
- July 31: Cedar Key
- Aug. 1: Crystal River
- Aug. 2: St. Petersburg
- Aug. 3: Naples
- Aug. 7: Jacksonville
- Aug. 8: Melbourne
- Aug. 9: Fort Pierce
- Aug. 17: Tallahassee
Links for more information:
Spiny Lobster
Action: Season starts Aug. 6
Information: Spiny lobster opens for recreational and commercial harvest Aug. 6.
The recreational daily bag limit and on-the-water possession limit is 6 per person.
Spiny lobster must have a carapace larger than 3 inches and, when harvested by diving, must be measured in the water. The carapace is measured beginning at the forward edge between the rostral horns, excluding any soft tissue, and proceeding along the middle to the rear edge of the carapace.
Harvest is prohibited in Everglades National Park, Dry Tortugas National Park, the Biscayne Bay Card Sound Spiny Lobster Sanctuary and the no-take areas of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary.
Links for more information:
2017 Lionfish Challenge
Action: Revamped program has commercial and recreational categories
Information: Remove 25 or more lionfish (or sell at least 25 pounds commercially) between Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 20, 2017) and Labor Day (Sept. 4, 2017) to enter the FWC’s Lionfish Challenge and be eligible to win prizes. The recreational and commercial harvesters who check in the most lionfish will be crowned Florida’s recreational Lionfish King or Queen and Commercial Champion, respectively.
Links for more information:
FWC needs your feedback
Information: FWC is collecting feedback on several fisheries issues including shrimp, flounder, and trap fisheries.
Link for more information:
Gulf Reef Fish Survey
Attention Gulf Anglers
Information: Snapper and grouper season is here. That means it is time to sign up for or renew your participation in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. Registration for this survey is required for all anglers (including those exempt from licensing requirements) fishing from a private vessel for the following reef species in the Gulf: red and vermilion snapper; gag, red, and black grouper; greater and lesser amberjack; banded rudderfish; almaco jack; and gray triggerfish.
If you are NOT a Gulf reef fish angler and don’t plan on fishing for these reef species in the Gulf this year, please do not sign up or renew your participation in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. By only sampling anglers who plan on fishing for those species, Florida is improving recreational data collection. Questions? Contact us at Marine@MyFWC.com.
Links for more information:
Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs
Catch a Florida Memory today
Information: Participation in any of these three programs encourages ethical angling while earning rewards for your efforts.
- Saltwater Fish Life List: A list of 71 different species. Can you catch them all?
- Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for extraordinarily-sized catches.
- Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching three different specified species in a 24-hour period.
Link for more information:
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