Florida Administrative Code

(1) A person may not participate in fishing at the Skyway Fishing Pier State Park unless such person has first successfully completed within the previous 12 months a Commission-approved skyway fishing pier education course, as provided in paragraph (1)(b) and possesses verificati…

(1) Species - Baitfish trawls shall only be used for the directed harvest of the following species, within the waters of the state specified in subsection (3) of this rule: (a) Menhaden - Genus Brevoortia. (b) Round herring - Etrumeus teres. (c) Scaled sardine - Harengula jaguana…

(1) This rule shall govern the harvest of the following baitfish species in the region comprised by Wakulla, Franklin, Gulf, Bay, Okaloosa, and Walton Counties: (a) Anchovy (Family Engraulidae). (b) Blue runner (Caranx crysos). (c) Atlantic thread herring (Opisthonema oglinum). (…

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 8-1-96, Formerly 46-51.001, Repealed 9-1-13.

"Jellyfish" means all species of the genera Rhopilema or Stomolophus. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-1-13.

(1) Allowed Gear and Method of Harvest - A person may harvest a jellyfish from Florida Waters only by or with the use of the following gear: (a) Cast Net - with a radius 12 1/2 feet or less. (b) Beach or Haul Seine (c) Paired Trawl - 1. All Florida Waters a. Minimum Mesh Size in …

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., Chapter 83-134, Laws of Fla., as amended by Chapter 84-121, and Chapter 85-163, Laws of Fla. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., Chapter 83-134, Laws of Fla., as amended by Chapter 84-121, and Chapter 85-163, Laws of Fl…

(1) "River herring", as used in this chapter, means a fish of the species Alosa aestivalis (blueback herring), or any part thereof. (2) "Shad", means a fish of the species Alosa alabamae (Alabama shad), Alosa sapidissima (American shad), Alosa mediocris (hickory shad), or any par…

(1) Recreational Aggregate Bag Limit - A recreational harvester may not harvest or land per day from Florida Waters or possess in or on Florida Waters more than 10 shad, in any combination of species. (2) Commercial Aggregate Bag Limit - A commercial harvester may not harvest or …

A person may harvest a shad or river herring from Florida Waters only by or with the use of hook and line gear. All other gear and methods of harvest are prohibited. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-1-13.

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 3-1-99, Formerly 46-53.001, Repealed 9-1-13.

"Calico scallop" means a scallop of the species Argopecten gibbus, or any part of the meat or viscera thereof. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 3-1-99, Formerly 46-53.002, Amended 9-1-13.

(1) Size Limit - A person or processor may not harvest or possess within or without Florida Waters calico scallops that are not of legal size. A processor of calico scallops may not possess calico scallops that are not of legal size, regardless of whether the processor is based a…

(1) Recreational Harvest Prohibited - Within or without Florida Waters, a person may not harvest or possess calico scallops for recreational purposes. A person may not land a calico scallop harvested within or without Florida Waters for recreational purposes. (2) Commercial Bag L…

(1) Allowed Gear and Method of Harvest - A person may harvest or attempt to harvest a calico scallop within or without Florida Waters only by or with the use of an otter trawl meeting the specifications of Rule 68B-53.0061, F.A.C. (2) Prohibited Gear and Method of Harvest - A per…

(1) Otter Trawl Specifications - (a) No such trawl shall be towed for more than 25 minutes, beginning when the trawl is placed in the water and ending when the trawl is completely removed from the water. (b) In the areas where the use of such trawls is allowed by subsection (2), …

For the purposes of this chapter, except where the context requires otherwise: (1) "Blue Land Crab" means any crab of the species Cardisoma guanhumi, or any part thereof. (2) "Harvest" means the catching or taking of a blue land crab by any means whatsoever, followed by a reducti…

(1) Blue land crabs shall only be harvested during the open season, which is from November 1 of each year through June 30 of the following year. (2) No person shall harvest, attempt to harvest, or possess any blue land crab during the period beginning on July 1 and continuing thr…

(1) Blue land crabs shall only be harvested by hand or with the use of a landing or dip net. (2) No person shall harvest any blue land crab by or with the use of any gear other than those types specified in subsection (1). Any blue land crab harvested by or with the use of any ot…

(1) No person shall harvest in any one day or possess at any time more than 20 blue land crabs. (2) The possession limit in subsection (1) shall not apply to any licensed wholesale or retail seafood dealer or restaurant, or to any person who has purchased blue land crabs from a l…

(1) The harvest, possession, purchase, or sale of eggbearing blue land crabs is prohibited. The practice of stripping or otherwise molesting eggbearing blue land crabs in order to remove the eggs is prohibited and the harvest, possession, purchase or sale of blue land crabs from …

As used in this chapter: (1) "Closed season" means that specified period of time during which harvest is prohibited. (2) "Trap debris" means any piece of a trap, or any combination of such pieces not constituting a fishable trap. (3) "Derelict trap" means any trap during any clos…

(1) Local, state, or federal governmental entities, nonprofit nongovernmental organizations, fishery participant organizations, or other community or citizens groups are hereby authorized to remove trap debris from shoreline areas landward of mean low water, and from mangroves or…

(1) Traps shall be retrieved by Commission personnel or by a contractor under direct oversight of such personnel, by any approved persons through either a cooperative agreement with federal, state, or local governments, or with fishery participant organizations acting in conjunct…

(1) During the closed season for the harvest of any species for which traps are allowable gear, and after any authorized trap retrieval period together with any extensions, traps are considered to be derelict and may be retrieved as part of coastal cleanup events conducted by loc…

(1) In the event of an executive order issued by the Governor of the State of Florida declaring an emergency resulting from a major natural disaster such as a hurricane, tropical storm, or similar weather occurance, upon a finding that the disaster has caused massive trap losses …

For the purpose of this chapter, except where the context requires otherwise: (1) "Ballyhoo", also commonly known as halfbeaks, means any fish of the genera Hemiramphus or Hyporhamphus, or any part thereof. (2) "Harvest for commercial purposes" means the taking or harvesting of f…

(1) Beginning September 1, 2003, no person shall engage in the directed harvest of ballyhoo for commercial purposes with a lampara net unless such person possesses a valid saltwater products license with both a purse seine endorsement and a lampara net endorsement. (2) Applicatio…

(1) Except as provided for in subsection (2), the harvest or attempted harvest of ballyhoo for commercial purposes with any gear or method other than the following is prohibited: (a) Lampara net. (b) Cast net meeting the requirements of subsection 68B-4.0081(3), F.A.C. (c) Hook a…

(1) Commercial Season - The season for harvest of ballyhoo for commercial purposes with a lampara net, within or without the waters of the State of Florida, shall begin on September 1 of each year and continue through July 31 of the following year. During the period beginning Aug…

Wahoo is 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 9-1-13.

As used in Chapter 68B-41, F.A.C.: (1) "Atlantic Ocean" means all state waters along the east coast of Florida lying between the Florida-Georgia border and 83° West Longitude (near the Dry Tortugas Islands). (2) "Wahoo" means a fish of the species Acanthocybium solandri, or any p…

(1) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement - Except as provided elsewhere in this rule, a person harvesting wahoo shall land each wahoo in whole condition. A person may not possess in or on Florida Waters a wahoo that has been beheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, …

(1) Recreational Limits - Bag Limit - A recreational harvester may not harvest or land per day from Florida Waters or possess in or on Florida Waters more than 2 wahoo. (2) Commercial Limits - (a) Bag Limit - A commercial harvester may not harvest or land per day from Florida Wat…

Wahoo harvested from Bahamian waters and transited to Florida pursuant to the requirements specified in subsection 68B-57.003(2), F.A.C., may not be sold or purchased. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-13-…

A person may not harvest a wahoo for commercial purposes from the Atlantic Ocean, unless they possess a valid federal commercial permit issued pursuant to 50 C.F.R. 622.4(a)(2)(xii) (as of January 3, 2005) in addition to a valid Saltwater Products License with a Restricted Specie…

Swordfish are hereby designated as 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 2-13-14.

As used in Chapter 68B-58, F.A.C.: (1) "Swordfish" means any fish of the species Xiphias gladius, or any part thereof. (2) "Cleithrum to keel length" means the length of a fish measured along the body contour, i.e., a curved measurement, from the point of the cleithrum that provi…

(1) Size Limit - A person may not harvest or land from Florida Waters, or possess in or on Florida Waters, a swordfish that is less than 47 inches in lower jaw fork length, or 25 inches in cleithrum to keel length. (2) A swordfish that is damaged by shark bites may be retained on…

(1) Recreational Limits - (a) Except as provided in subsections (2) and (3), a recreational harvester may not harvest or land from Florida Waters more than one swordfish per day or possess in or on Florida Waters more than one swordfish (consistent with the Federal Standard estab…

(1) If at any time adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters are closed to commercial harvest of swordfish, corresponding state waters shall also be closed to commercial harvest of swordfish, beginning from the date of such closure until federal waters are reopened to…

(1) The harvest or attempted harvest of any swordfish in or from state waters is prohibited except by use of hook and line gear. (2) The landing requirements contained in this section shall not apply to lawful commercial harvest in federal waters when such harvest is transported …

(1) A person who harvests a swordfish within or without Florida Waters may not sell a swordfish unless the harvester possesses a valid saltwater products license, a valid restricted species endorsement, and either a valid federal Limited Access Permit (LAP) for swordfish, valid f…

A person who harvests a swordfish from Florida Waters pursuant to subsection 68B-58.004(1), F.A.C. shall report the landing of the swordfish as required by 50 C.F.R. §635.5(c)(2) (as of September 20, 2013) unless the person harvested the swordfish as a participant in a fishing co…

(1) Sheepshead are hereby designated as restricted species pursuant to section 379.101(32), F.S. (2) The regulations in this chapter apply in all Florida Waters and in adjacent federal waters. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla.…

"Sheepshead" means a fish of the species Archosargus probatocephalus, or any part thereof. Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-1-13.

(1) Size Limit - A person may not harvest or possess within or without Florida Waters or land, a sheepshead that is less than 12 inches in total length. (2) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement - A person harvesting sheepshead shall land each sheepshead in whole condition. A per…