Florida Administrative Code

King and Spanish Mackerel - A permit is required to meet the requirements of 50 C.F.R. §622.386(e) (as of January 9, 2015) for tournament-caught king and Spanish mackerel to be donated and sold. Upon request and submission of the information required in subsection (1), the Execut…

(1) It is unlawful for any person to place chum in the water for the purposes of fishing from a beach or wade fishing in waters immediately adjacent to a beach. This shall not be construed to prohibit the use of a baited hook when fishing with hook and line gear, placing bait in …

(1) A person may not tag a marine organism within or without Florida Waters unless such tagging activity is conducted by or on behalf of a federal or state natural resource management agency, or has been authorized pursuant to a Special Activity License issued pursuant to Chapter…

(1) "Bow Hunting" means the catching or taking of a fish through the instrumentality of a bow and arrow or a crossbow and arrow, or quarrel. (2) "Bow" means a device consisting of a flexible material having string connecting its two ends for the purpose of discharging arrows, whi…

(1) Spearing is lawful in all salt waters and salt tributaries located in the State of Florida except: (a) As provided in Section 379.2425, F.S. Notwithstanding the prohibition contained in that section, spearfishing is allowed in state waters off Collier County except as prohibi…

(1) Notwithstanding anything to the contrary in Rule 68B-20.003, F.A.C., or Section 379.2425, F.S., upon request and with reasonable assurance that the activity will not harm the environment nor be a danger to public health or safety, the Executive Director, or his designee, shal…

The spearing of the following species and species groups is prohibited: (1) Billfish (species of the genus Xiphias, Istiophorus, Makaira, and Tetrapturus). (2) Sturgeon (Acipenser oxyrhynchus). (3) Tarpon (Megalops atlanticus). (4) Bonefish (Albula vulpes). (5) Jewfish (Epinephel…

(1) Designation as a Protected Species - The snook, species Centropomus undecimalis, is hereby declared and designated a protected species. (2) The snook, species Centropomus undecimalis has been designated as a protected species to increase public awareness of the need for exten…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 7-9-87, Amended 1-1-98, Formerly 46-21.0015, Amended 1-1-02, 5-13-02, 7-1-06, 7-12-07, 9-3-09, Repealed 9-1-13.

As used in Chapter 68B-21, F.A.C.: (1) "Big Bend Region" means all Florida Waters and adjacent federal waters of the Gulf of America lying east of 84°20.800ꞌ West Longitude in Franklin County and north of a line running due east and due west from the westernmost point of Fred How…

(1) Minimum and Maximum Size Limits - A person may not harvest or land from within or without Florida Waters of the following regions, or possess within or without Florida Waters of the following regions, a snook that does not meet the specified size limits established in this su…

(1) Regional Recreational Bag Limits - A person may not harvest or land per day from within or without Florida Waters of the following regions, or possess within or without Florida Waters of the following regions, more snook than the specified bag limit established in this subsec…

Regional Closed Seasons - During the closed seasons for snook established in this rule for the following regions, a person may not harvest or land a snook from within or without Florida Waters of the specified region, or possess a snook in the specified region regardless of wheth…

(1) Allowed Gear and Method of Harvest - Within or without Florida Waters, a person may harvest or attempt to harvest a snook only by or with the use of hook and line gear. (2) Prohibited Gear and Method of Harvest - The following restrictions apply within or without Florida Wate…

(1) A person may not purchase or sell a snook, regardless of whether the snook was harvested within or without Florida Waters. (2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (2)(b), a seafood dealer may not possess or store a snook, or allow a person to possess, store, purchase, or sell …

(1) The purpose and intent of this chapter is to protect, manage, conserve and replenish Florida's red drum (redfish) resource. (2) Accordingly, it is the intent of this chapter to repeal and replace those portions of Section 370.11(2)(a)4., F.S. (1985), dealing with redfish. Thi…

(1) "Big Bend Region" means all Florida Waters of the Gulf of America lying east of 84°20.800ꞌ West Longitude in Franklin County and north of a line running due east and due west from the westernmost point of Fred Howard Park Causeway (28°09.350ꞌN, 82°48.398ꞌW), and including all…

No person shall harvest in or from the waters of the State of Florida at any time, or unnecessarily destroy, any redfish of total length less than 18 inches, nor greater than 27 inches. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const.…

(1) Recreational Bag Limits - Except as provided in Rule 68B-22.007, F.A.C., a recreational harvester may not harvest or land per day or possess more redfish than the specified bag limit established in this subsection within the following regions while in or on Florida Waters, or…

(1) The harvest of any redfish in or from state waters by or with the use of any multiple hook in conjunction with live or dead natural bait is prohibited. Spearing or snagging (snatch hooking) of redfish in or from state waters is prohibited. (2) It is unlawful for any person to…

(1) Except as provided in this rule, the practice of catching, holding, and releasing redfish is prohibited. The Executive Director of the FWC, or his designee, shall issue a tournament exemption permit to the director of a catch-and-release fishing tournament to allow redfish to…

Spanish mackerel are hereby designated as a restricted species pursuant to Section 379.101(32), F.S. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 11-28-85, Amended 10-30-86, 12-10-87, 10-1-88, 10-19-89, 9-30-96, Former…

(1) "East Coast Region" means Florida Waters along the east coast north of the Miami-Dade/-Monroe county line at Card Sound. (2) "Spanish mackerel" means any fish of the species Scomberomorus maculatus, or any part thereof. (3) "West Coast Region" means all Florida Waters except …

(1) Size Limit - A person may not harvest or land from Florida Waters, or possess in or on Florida Waters, a Spanish mackerel that is less than 12 inches in fork length. (2) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement - A person harvesting Spanish mackerel shall land each Spanish macke…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 6-1-99, Formerly 46-23.0035, Repealed 9-5-19.

(1) Recreational Bag Limit - (a) A recreational harvester may not harvest from Florida Waters more than 15 Spanish mackerel per day. Except as provided in paragraph (d), a recreational harvester may not possess in or on Florida Waters, on any dock, pier, bridge, beach, or other f…

(1) Recreational Open Season - The season for recreational harvest of Spanish mackerel is open throughout the year. (2) Commercial Open and Closed Seasons - (a) East Coast Region - Commercial harvest of Spanish mackerel in the East Coast Region is open beginning March 1 each year…

(1) A person may harvest or attempt to harvest Spanish mackerel from Florida Waters only by or with the use of a beach or haul seine, a cast net, hook and line gear, or by spearing. (2) A person may not harvest or attempt to harvest Spanish mackerel from Florida Waters with gear …

(1) The Commission shall issue a permit pursuant to rule 68B-2.010, F.A.C., to authorize Spanish mackerel caught in an organized tournament to be donated to a licensed wholesale dealer. (2) The operator of a vessel in Florida Waters is responsible for ensuring that the persons ab…

(1) The primary purpose and intent of this chapter are to protect and conserve Florida's spiny lobster resources, assure the continuing health and abundance of those resources, and to provide for optimum sustained benefits and use from the resources for all the people of the stat…

As used in this rule chapter: (1) "Artificial habitat" means any material placed in the waters of the state that is reasonably suited to providing cover and habitat for spiny lobster. Such material may be constructed of, but is not limited to, wood, metal, fiberglass, concrete, o…

(1) No person shall harvest or possess any spiny lobster with a carapace measurement of 3 inches or less or, if the tail is separated from the body, a tail measurement less than 5 1/2 inches not including any protruding muscle tissue, except as may be provided in subsection (3) o…

(1) A special recreational crawfish license is required to harvest spiny lobster from state waters in excess of the bag limit established for recreational harvesters in subsection (1) of Rule 68B-24.004, F.A.C., but not in excess of the special bag limit established in subsection…

(1) Except as provided in subsections (2), (3), and (4), the harvest from state waters, or possession while on or below such water, of more than 6 spiny lobster per recreational harvester per day, is prohibited. (2)(a) Except in Monroe County and in Biscayne National Park, during…

(1) Documentation Requirements During Open Season - During the open season specified in subsection 68B-24.005(1), F.A.C., a person may possess wrung spiny lobster tails or possess spiny lobster in excess of the bag limit specified in subsection 68B-24.004(1), F.A.C., while on sta…

(1) Except as provided in subsection (2) of this rule the season for harvest of spiny lobster in state waters shall be August 6 of each year through March 31 of the following year. No person shall harvest, attempt to harvest, or have in his possession, regardless of where taken, …

(1) Section 379.367, F.S., requires each person using traps to harvest spiny lobster or taking spiny lobster in commercial quantities to purchase and possess a trap number, also known as a crawfish endorsement or crawfish license. A crawfish endorsement is hereby required to harv…

(1) No commercial harvester shall harvest lobster by any means other than by diving, by the use of a bully net or hoop net, or by the use of traps as specified in this subsection. (2) No person shall, in state waters, fish with, set, place, or cause to be fished with, set, or pla…

(1) During the two-day sport season established in subsection 68B-24.005(2), F.A.C., there shall be no harvest of spiny lobster in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Except for persons transiting park waters in a vessel, no person shall possess any spiny lobster in or on the w…

As provided in Rule 68B-7.008, F.A.C., no person shall harvest or attempt to harvest any species of the families Palinuridae (spiny or furry lobsters) or Scyllaridae (slipper lobsters), or deploy any trap, in the Coral Reef Protection Areas of Biscayne National Park. Rulemaking A…

(1) The harvest or possession of eggbearing spiny lobster, or any other species of lobster belonging to the families Palinuridae (spiny or furry lobsters) or Scyllaridae (slipper lobsters) is prohibited. Eggbearing spiny lobster, or any other species of lobster in the families li…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 7-2-87, Amended 7-2-90, Formerly 46-24.008, Repealed 7-1-08.

Upon the sale or transfer of lobster trap certificates outside the immediate family of the certificate holder, the number of certificates received by the purchaser shall be reduced by 10 percent. Once the number of lobster trap certificates is reduced through this mechanism to 40…

(1) The purpose of this rule is to minimize user group conflicts within the boundaries of Tampa Bay Park in Hillsborough County, while maintaining reasonable access by all user groups to the marine resources in the waters of that park. (2) The following waters of Old Tampa Bay in…

(1) The waters of E.G. Simmons Park in Hillsborough County are closed to the harvest of all fishes by net, excluding the use of common hand cast nets or hand-held landing or dip nets. The possession of any net, other than a common hand cast net or hand-held landing or dip net, wi…

(1) Chapter 15379, Laws of Florida (1931), as amended by Chapter 18740, Laws of Florida (1937), a rule of the Department of Natural Resources pursuant to paragraph (5)(a) of section 2 of Chapter 83-134, Laws of Florida, is hereby repealed. The Marine Fisheries Commission has dete…

"Live shellfish" means any living mollusk (Phylum Mollusca) or echinoderm (Phylum Echinodermata). Live shellfish does not include oysters (Crassostrea virginica), hard clams (Mercenaria spp.), sunray venus clams (Macrocallista nimbosa), bay scallops (Argopecten irradians), or coq…