10730739, 68B-14.0036 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 10730739

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

REEF FISH

Overview

RULE:

68B-14.0036

Recreational Bag Limits: Snapper, Grouper, Hogfish, Black Sea Bass, Red Porgy, Amberjacks, Tilefish, Exception, Wholesale/Retail Purchase Exemption

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this rule amendment is to achieve consistency between the Commission’s Reef Fish Rule on recreational red grouper harvest in the Gulf of Mexico and rules that were implemented by NOAA Fisheries Service on November 2, 2011. According to the 2009 stock assessment update, red grouper is not overfished, nor is it undergoing overfishing. In recent years, the recreational sector has not caught its allocation of red grouper, so the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council relaxed recreational red grouper regulations to increase the recreational bag limit for red grouper in Gulf federal waters from two to four fish per person, per day within the four-fish grouper aggregate bag limit.
This rule amendment will remove the two-fish recreational bag limit for Gulf of Mexico red grouper. The effect of this rule amendment is to set the bag limit for recreationally-caught Gulf red grouper to four fish per person per day within the existing Gulf grouper aggregate bag limit of four fish. With this rule amendment federal and state regulations will be consistently applied. Where practicable, this minimizes public confusion, aids enforceability, and maximizes recreational fishing opportunities for red grouper in the Gulf of Mexico.
Rule 68B-14.0036, F.A.C. (Recreational Bag Limits: Snapper, Grouper, Hogfish, Black Sea Bass, Red Porgy, Amberjacks, Tilefish, Exception, Wholesale/Retail Purchase Exemption) would be amended to remove the two-fish bag limit currently in place for red grouper recreationally harvested in the Gulf of Mexico, excluding Monroe County. This would make the bag limit for red grouper four fish per person per day within the existing Gulf grouper aggregate bag limit of four fish.

SUMMARY:

Bud Vielhauer, General Counsel, Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, 620 South Meridian Street, Tallahassee, Florida 32399-1600, (850)487-1764.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

12/9/2011 Vol. 37/49

COMMENTS:

From 12/9/2011 To 12/30/2011 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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