Lionfish Challenge participant Brad Riles.
Commission Meeting – St. Augustine
Marine Fisheries items discussed Sept. 8
Information: The FWC Commission discussed several marine fisheries management items Sept. 8 at the meeting in St. Augustine.
Discussions:
- Federal fishery management update
- Spiny lobster bully net fishery, draft rule expected at November meeting
Regulatory changes:
- Red drum: Daily bag limit of 1 fish in NW management zone adopted and currently in effect.
- Red snapper: Recreational season in Gulf state waters extended due to effects of Hurricane Hermine. New dates include Nov. 5-6, 11-12, and 25-27.
- Mutton snapper: Modifications to the recreational and commercial size, bag and trip limits effective Jan. 1.
- Black sea bass: Recreational daily bag limit increased from 5 to 7 fish per person in Atlantic state waters to match new federal waters bag limit. Line marking requirements that are consistent with pending federal rules set for Atlantic commercial fishery. Effective date to be determined.
- Atlantic gray triggerfish: Recreational and commercial minimum size limit set to 12 inches fork length in Atlantic state waters only; statewide importation and sale minimum size limit set to 12 inches FL; and the recreational daily bag limit set to 10 fish per person in Atlantic state waters. Already in effect.
- Gulf greater amberjack: Recreational season closed Sept. 10 through Dec. 31, 2016, in Gulf state waters.
- St. Lucie County: Outdated regulations that apply only in St. Lucie County will be removed. Effective date to be determined.
- Commercial Saltwater License Forms: Stone crab and lobster trap tag replacement and trap certificate transfer forms updated along with a form related to an exemption to the RS qualifications to reflect the latest, more user-friendly versions developed by FWC.
Links for more information:
New Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs
Catch a Florida Memory today
Information: We all know fishing has its own rewards, but turn them into something tangible by participating in one of the FWC’s new Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs.
There are three programs you can participate in, two of which are brand new and start Oct. 3:
- Saltwater Fish Life List: A list of 71 different species. Can you catch them all?
- Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognizes you for your extraordinary-sized catch.
- Saltwater Grand Slams: Get rewarded for catching 3 different specified species in a 24-hour period.
Links for more information:
Lionfish Challenge
Program wraps up Sept. 30
Information: More than 14,000 lionfish were removed from Florida waters as the Lionfish Challenge came to a closeSept. 30. Final numbers will be announced soon along with the winner, who will be crowned Florida’s Lionfish King or Queen at the November Commission meeting. The Lionfish Challenge rewarded participants for removing 50 or more lionfish between Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 14, 2016) and the end of September.
Links for more information:
Stone Crab – Season Opens
Action: Recreational and commercial season opens Oct. 15in state and federal waters
Information:
- Only the claws may be harvested
- Although it is currently lawful to harvest both of a stone crab's claws, this practice leaves the stone crab with few ways to defend itself from predators. FWC encourages people to only take a single claw.
- Claws must be 2 ¾ inches to be harvested
- Recreational bag limit: 1 gallon of claws per person, 2 gallons per vessel, whichever is less
- Harvest of claws from females with eggs is prohibited
- May 16: Season closes
- Cannot use any device that can puncture, crush or injure the crab body
- Recreational harvesters may use up to 5 stone crab traps per person
- 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 can be no more than 5 inches in diameter.
- Round trap entrances are not allowed in Collier, Monroe and Miami-Dade counties
Links for more information:
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Red Snapper – Gulf State Season
Recreational harvest in state waters continues through October, days added in November
Information: The recreational red snapper season in Gulf state waters continues to remain open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays through October, and additional days were added to the season in November to offset the effects of Hurricane Hermine.
Additional open season days include Nov. 5-6, 11-12, and 25-27.
The daily bag limit is two fish per person within the 10-snapper aggregate bag limit. The minimum size limit is 16 inches total length. The season is not open in Gulf federal waters.
Links for more information:
Lionfish Panhandle Pilot Program
Program in 7-county region focuses on lionfish removal
Information: For every 100 lionfish harvested from Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties, between May 2016 and May 2017, the harvester will be eligible to receive a tag allowing them to take either an extra legal-sized red grouper or cobia over the bag limit from state waters. The state will issue up to 100 red grouper and 30 cobia tags in total to successful participants in the pilot program. In addition, the first 10 persons or groups that harvest 500 or more lionfish during this one-year period will be given the opportunity to name an artificial reef.
Links for more information:
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IN THIS ISSUE
- Commission Meeting
- New Saltwater Angler Recognition Programs
- Lionfish Challenge
- Stone Crab
- Red Snapper – Gulf
- Lionfish Panhandle Pilot Program
STATE SEASON UPDATES
October-November
State waters are from shore to 9 nautical miles in the Gulf and from shore to 3 nautical miles in the Atlantic.
Oct. 7-9, 14-16, 21-23, 28-20; Nov. 5-6, 11-12 and 25-27
Oct. 1
Oct. 5
Oct. 15
Nov. 1
John Morgan with a mutton snapper.
EVENTS
October-November
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