Timothy Blasko recently claimed the Atlantic record for heaviest lionfish at 3.10 pounds. Learn more about other lionfish records at MyFWC.com/Lionfish.
Information: The FWC Commission listened to public testimony on and discussed several marine fisheries management items at the Sept. 26-27 meeting in Tallahassee. Please visit MyFWC.com and click on “FWC Commission Meetings” and the link for the September meeting to see the agenda.
Regulation changes (final decisions on these topics were made at this meeting):
- Trap fisheries: Staff presented a series of final rules to modify the stone crab, blue crab, and spiny lobster trap fishery regulations. Approved changes include: creating a mandatory, no-cost, annual recreational blue crab and stone crab trap registration (effective Oct. 1, 2019, for stone crab and Jan. 1, 2020, for blue crab); requiring stone crab commercial licenses/endorsements be active in order to keep trap allotments (effective July 1, 2019); increasing the time allowed for commercial lobster fishers to remove spiny lobster traps from the water after the season ends from five days to 10 days (effective Nov. 1, 2018); and starting the commercial spiny lobster trap soak period the Saturday following the recreational mini-season (effective Nov. 1, 2018).
- Live food shrimp: Demand for food shrimp sold alive has been expanding in recent years. These changes will clarify that live food shrimp are excluded from seafood icing requirements and specifically address the transit of food shrimp that is transported alive prior to sale.
Discussions and temporary regulation changes:
- Lionfish Challenge: The winners of the 2018 Lionfish Challenge were announced by the Commission. John McCain won the recreational category with 1,137 lionfish and Ron Surrency won the commercial category with 5,017 pounds. A total of 28,260 lionfish were removed throughout the Challenge.
- Red Tide: After hearing an update on the red tide affecting southwest Florida, the Commission directed staff to keep snook and red drum catch-and-release only through May 10, 2019, and to expand the area where this applies to include Tampa Bay (including all waters of Manatee and Hillsborough counties) as well as all of Pinellas and Pasco counties starting Sept. 28.
- Gulf gray triggerfish: The Commission approved closing the recreational harvest of gray triggerfish in Gulf state waters for the remainder of 2018 starting Sept. 28. This action is consistent with a recent federal closure.
- The Commission listened to updates on other federal fishery management items and on future FWC marine fisheries management items.
Links for more information:
Season closed as of Sept. 26
Information: As a precautionary measure, the bay scallop season in state waters off Gulf County, including St. Joseph Bay, was closed to harvest Sept. 26. This closure is due to the presence of bloom levels of Karenia brevis, the naturally-occurring algae associated with red tide. The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services recently announced a similar closure for clams, mussels and oysters (not including bay scallops) due to the algae bloom impacting the area.
While these species are closed to harvest, St. Joseph Bay remains open for other recreational activities. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is working closely with partners during this time, including the Florida Department of Health, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, Gulf County, and the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
Links for more information:
Stone Crab – Season Opens
Action: Recreational and commercial season opens Oct. 15
Information:
- Only the claws may be harvested
- Claws must be 2 ¾ inches to be harvested
- Recreational limit: 1 gallon of claws per person, 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less
- Harvest of claws from females with eggs is prohibited
- Do not use any device that can puncture, crush or injure the crab’s body
- May 16: Season closes
- Recreational harvesters may use up to 5 stone crab traps per person
- Recently adopted rule requiring recreational harvester to register their stone crab traps does not apply this season and will take effect prior to the Oct. 2019 season
- The trap throat (entrance) must be no larger than 5 ½” x 3 1/8” in Collier, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties. In all other counties, entrances can be no larger than 5 ½” x 3 ½”. Round entrances are not allowed in Collier, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties and can be no more than 5 inches in diameter elsewhere in the state.
Links for more information:
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Information: FWC is collecting feedback on several fisheries issues including trap fisheries and shrimp.
Link for more information:
Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs
Catch a Florida Memory today
Information: These three programs encourage 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.
FWC also manages the Florida Saltwater Fishing Records program.
Link for more information:
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