6584765, 68B-45.0045 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 6584765

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

BLUE CRAB

Overview

RULE:

68B-45.0045	Closed Seasons
68B-45.006	Other Prohibitions

PURPOSE:

The purpose of these rule amendments is to modify the Commission’s Blue Crab Rule in order to establish closed seasons to the harvest of blue crabs from traps. The purpose of creating Rule 68B-45.0045, F.A.C., is to facilitate the identification and retrieval of lost and abandoned blue crab traps. This has been identified as an issue of importance by both the fishing industry and the public. The proposed draft rule amendment would create five regional closures along Florida’s coast and one closure in waters of the St. Johns River system. Each closure would last up to ten days and would occur annually. The duration of the closures within the ten days specified in the rule would be based on conditions in the specific regions and would be at the discretion of the Executive Director of the Commission. The purpose of modifying Rule 68B-45.006, F.A.C., is to transfer the current Gulf of Mexico Regional Closure into the new section, Rule 68B-45.0045, F.A.C., so that all blue crab season closures are in the same section of the rule.

SUMMARY:

Rule 68B-45.0045 F.A.C., (Closed Seasons) would be created to contain all of the blue crab seasonal closure language. Six regional closed seasons to the harvest of blue crabs with traps would be created. These closures would extend for a period of up to 10 days each to help efforts to identify and retrieve lost and abandoned blue crab traps from Florida waters. In addition, the Gulf Seasonal Closure Region language located in Rule 68B-45.006, F.A.C., would be adopted into this section. Rule 68B-45.006, F.A.C., (Other Prohibitions) would be amended by removing the current Gulf Seasonal Closure Region Language.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

12/31/2008 Vol. 34/53

COMMENTS:

From 12/31/2008 To 1/21/2009 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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