Franklin County opposes plans for game and sports fish designation

Franklin county commissioners are taking a stand against giving speckled trout and redfish gamefish designation in Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering creating saltwater game fish and sport fish designations and could approve a final rule on the issue in February.

If the proposal is passed it would create a game fish designation that would make certain species off-limits to commercial fishermen and a sports fish designation that would offer an even higher level of protection by making selected species catch-and-release only.

The Commission has not yet said which species could fall under the new designations, but county commissioners say the plan is just another attack on commercial fishing in Florida.

Commissioners on Tuesday said that local commercial fishermen have already had mullet taken away from them through the net ban and this is just another move that will make life harder on commercial fishermen.

Commissioner Pinki Jackel said the board should be proactive on this issue.

The board agreed on Tuesday to send a letter of opposition to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as well as to the county’s legislative delegation and to the governor’s office. 

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