Florida Administrative Code

(1) No person shall harvest from the waters of the Gulf-Atlantic Fishery or land any king mackerel with a fork length less than 24 inches, measured from the tip of the snout to the rear center edge of the tail. (2) All king mackerel shall be landed in a whole condition. The posse…

(1) Except as provided in Rule 68B-12.0046, F.A.C., each person harvesting king mackerel from the Gulf-Atlantic fishery shall be subject to a bag limit of three fish per person, per day (consistent with the Federal Standard established in 50 C.F.R. §622.382(a)(1)(ii) as of May 11…

(1) The king mackerel fishing season for harvesters subject to the bag limit established in subsection 68B-12.004(1), F.A.C., in the Gulf-Atlantic fishery shall be July 1 of each year through June 30 of the following year. (2) If the harvest of king mackerel in federal Exclusive …

(1) Any person harvesting or possessing king mackerel in excess of the bag and possession limits specified in Rule 68B-12.004, F.A.C. in the Gulf-Atlantic fishery shall also possess a valid saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement and a federal commercial …

(1) No person shall possess, transport, buy, sell, exchange or offer to buy, sell or exchange any king mackerel harvested in violation of any provision or condition of this chapter. (2) The Commission shall issue a permit pursuant to Rule 68B-2.010, F.A.C., to authorize king mack…

The regulations in this rule apply in all state waters and, in absence of any stone crab regulations in federal waters, apply in adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., …

(1) The term "stone crab" for purposes of this chapter and Section 379.365, F.S., means any crustacean of the species Menippe mercenaria or Menippe adina or their interbreeding hybrids, or any part of such crustacean. (2) As used in this rule chapter: (a) "A1-certificates" are tr…

(1) Stone crabs are hereby designated as a restricted species pursuant to Section 379.101(32), F.S. (2) The season for the harvest, possession and sale of stone crab claws shall be from October 15 through May 1, each year. No person, firm or corporation, shall harvest, or have in…

(1)(a) Except as provided in subsection 68B-13.010(5), F.A.C., in addition to a saltwater products license, a stone crab endorsement is required in order to harvest and possess stone crabs for commercial purposes. This endorsement shall only be issued to a person, firm or corpora…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (3), of this rule, and in subsection 68B-13.006(2), F.A.C., it is unlawful to harvest, possess, sell, or offer for sale any stone crab claw at any time which has a forearm (propodus) of less than 2 7/8 inches in length, measured by a straight …

(1) Gear. It is unlawful to use any device in the taking of stone crabs that can puncture, crush, or injure the crab body, such as spears, grains, grabs, hooks, or similar devices. (2) Trap Construction. No person, firm, or corporation shall transport on the water, fish with, or …

(1) BAG LIMIT. Except for persons harvesting pursuant to a saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement or an incidental take endorsement and a restricted species endorsement, each harvester of stone crab claws is subject to a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of stone crab…

(1) PURPOSE AND INTENT. Rapid growth of Florida's stone crab trap industry has led to an excessive number of traps in the water, declining yields per trap, and an increase in conflicts between stone crabbers and shrimp trawlers. The expanding number of traps, buoys and ropes impe…

(1) It is unlawful for a person to possess or use any other gear or device designed to attract and enclose or otherwise aid in the taking of stone crabs with a trap that does not meet the specifications of this rule chapter. (2) It is unlawful for a person to possess or use stone…

(1) It shall be the policy of the Commission to assess administrative penalties pursuant to Section 379.365(2)(a), F.S., for conviction of a violation involving use of stone crab traps without current year trap tags (paragraph 68B-13.010(2)(b), and subsections 68B-13.011(5) and (…

(1) Purpose and intent. (a) The purpose of this chapter is to protect and replenish Florida's reef fish resources by imposing minimum size limits, recreational bag limits, and restrictions on gear used to harvest the families, genera and species listed herein. (b) The prohibition…

For purposes of this chapter, except where the context clearly requires otherwise: (1) "Atlantic Ocean" means that body of water south and east of the line beginning at the point where the Natural Resources Boundary Line intersects 83 deg. W. longitude (24 deg. 29 min. N. latitud…

No person shall land, possess, unnecessarily destroy, purchase, exchange, sell or offer for sale any of the following species harvested in or from state waters, of a length less than set forth as follows: (1) Amberjacks (measured in terms of fork length). (a) Almaco jack harveste…

(1) No person shall possess for purposes of sale, purchase, sell, or exchange any of the following species of a length less than set forth as follows: (a) Black sea bass 10 inches total length. (b) Greater amberjack 34 inches fork length. (c) Gray triggerfish. 12 inches fork leng…

(1) Snapper. (a) Aggregate bag limit. Except as provided elsewhere in this rule, no recreational harvester shall harvest within or without Florida waters, nor possess within or without Florida waters, more than a total of 10 snapper per day, in any combination of species. (b) Gra…

(1) Red Snapper Open Seasons. Pursuant to Section 120.81(5), F.S., the Commission shall give notice of red snapper open seasons for all waters of the Gulf of America: electronically at: www.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/snappers/. (2) Red Snapper Closed Seasons. Except…

(1) In all state waters of the Gulf of America, except in all waters of Monroe County, the season for the recreational harvest and possession of gag grouper shall be September 1 through November 10 each year. Except for persons harvesting gag grouper for commercial purposes pursu…

(1) In all state waters of the Gulf of America the recreational harvest and possession of greater amberjack shall be prohibited January 1 through August 31 and from November 1 through December 31, each year (consistent with the Federal Standard established in 50 C.F.R. §622.34(c)…

In all state waters of the Gulf of America the recreational harvest and possession of gray triggerfish shall be prohibited January 1 through the end of February, and June 1 through July 31, each year (consistent with the Federal Standard established in 50 C.F.R. §622.34(f) as of …

(1) Hogfish Open Seasons. In all state waters of the Atlantic Ocean and south of 25°09' North Latitude in the Gulf of America, the season for the recreational harvest and possession of hogfish shall be May 1 through October 31 (consistent with the Federal Standard established in …

(1) Red Porgy Open Season. In all state waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the open season for the recreational harvest and possession of red porgy shall be May 1 through June 30 each year (consistent with the Federal Standard established in 50 C.F.R. §622.183(b)(9) as of January 19, …

(1) Licenses. (a) Each person harvesting any of the species listed in subsection 68B-14.001(2), F.A.C., for commercial purposes in state waters shall possess a valid saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement and: 1. If fishing in state waters of the Atlanti…

(1) For a person aboard a vessel, for which a commercial vessel permit for Gulf reef fish has been issued or is required to fish for, possess, or land red snapper, red grouper, gag grouper, black grouper, scamp, yellowfin grouper, yellowmouth grouper, yellowedge grouper, snowy gr…

(1) Allowable gear. Except as provided in subsection (2), the following shall be the only gear types and methods allowed for the harvest in or from state waters of any of the species specified in subsection 68B-14.001(2), F.A.C.: (a) Hook and line gear. (b) A black sea bass trap …

(1) Possession of any fish in excess of any applicable bag limit or smaller than any minimum size limit established by this chapter by any person aboard a vessel fishing in state waters constitutes a violation of this chapter. Vessels for-hire that possess aboard the vessel a val…

(1) Open Areas - The areas open to the recreational harvest of goliath grouper include all Florida Waters of Nassau through St. Lucie counties, all Florida Waters of the Gulf of America in Monroe County, and all Florida Waters of Collier through Escambia counties. excluding all w…

The purpose and intent of this rule is to improve recreational harvest data collection capabilities for certain reef fish species by identifying the population of anglers and vessels for hire fishing for these species. (1) Recreational harvesters are required to report their inte…

(1) No person shall harvest or land a goliath grouper from Florida Waters or possess a goliath grouper unless: (a) Such person has been issued a recreational goliath grouper harvest permit pursuant to subsection (2); (b) Such person has been issued a goliath grouper tag pursuant …

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 11-25-84, Formerly 46-15.01, 46-15.001, Repealed 9-1-13.

(1) A person may not harvest, take, harass, injure, or kill a sturgeon of the species Acipenser oxyrinchus. (2) This subsection will not be construed to prohibit unintentional injury of or contact with a sturgeon if it occurs in the course of normal fishing activities. A person w…

The queen conch, species Aliger gigas (formerly Strombus gigas), is hereby designated as a protected species. The purposes of designation as a protected species are to increase public awareness of the need for extensive conservation action in order to prevent this resource from b…

"Queen conch" means a conch of the species Aliger gigas (formerly Strombus gigas), or any part thereof. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 6-17-85, Amended 6-21-90, Formerly 46-16.002, Amended 9-1-13.

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 6-17-85, Amended 6-21-90, 7-15-96, Formerly 46-16.003, Repealed 9-1-13.

(1) A person may not harvest, kill, molest, harm or mutilate a queen conch within or without Florida Waters, or possess, transport or land a queen conch regardless of where harvested. (2) A person may harvest a queen conch shell if the shell does not contain a live queen conch at…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 12-11-86, Formerly 46-16.005, Repealed 9-1-13.

(1) Chapter 68B-16, F.A.C. does not apply to a wholesale or retail dealer who is in possession of queen conch if the queen conch was lawfully harvested and imported from a country other than the United States. (2) A wholesale or retail dealer in queen conch or products made from …

"Hard clam" means any species of wild or feral hard clam of the genus Mercenaria, or a part thereof. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 1-1-85, Formerly 46-17.02, Amended 4-11-94, 11-27-96, Formerly 46-17.002…

(1) Size Limit - A person may not harvest or land from Florida Waters or possess in or on Florida Waters a hard clam that is less than 1 inch in thickness across the hinge. (2) Sorting Requirement - A person harvesting hard clams shall sort the hard clams immediately after they a…

(1) Recreational Limits - (a) Bag Limit - A recreational harvester may not harvest or land per day from Florida Waters or possess in or on Florida Waters more than 5 gallons of hard clams (unshucked). (b) Vessel Limit - The persons aboard a vessel in or on Florida Waters may not …

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 1-1-85, Formerly 46-17.05, Amended 3-15-87, 4-11-94, 11-27-96, Formerly 46-17.005, Repealed 9-1-13.

(1) Allowed Gear and Method of Harvest - A person may harvest or attempt to harvest a hard clam from Florida Waters only by or with the use of feet, hands, rakes that meet the specifications in Rule 68B-17.0061, F.A.C., or tongs that meet the specifications in Rule 68B-17.0061, F…

(1) Specifications and Requirements for Allowed Gear - (a) Specifications for Rakes - A person may not harvest a hard clam with a rake that has less than 7/8 inch of clear space between the teeth on the horizontal harvesting surface of the rake. A person may not harvest a hard cl…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 4-11-94, Formerly 46-17.007, Repealed 9-1-13.

Shellfish endorsement - (1) Beginning July 1, 2015, except as provided in subsection (3), or for harvest from aquaculture leases pursuant to an aquaculture certificate issued by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, a commercial harvester may not harvest or…

(1) It is the intent of the Commission to annually review and evaluate the status and health of the bay scallop fishery. (2) Should it become necessary to close any area presently open to bay scalloping, or should the bay scallop resource recover sufficiently to allow the opening…