20768396, 68B-13.009 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 20768396

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

STONE CRABS

Overview

RULE:

68B-13.009	Recreational Stone Crab Harvest: Bag Limit, Trap Limit, Trap Marking Requirements, Trap Pulling, Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration Requirement
68B-13.010	Stone Crab Trap Limitation Program

PURPOSE:

The purpose of this rule amendment is to improve the management of the stone crab trap fishery by modifying the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (Commission) stone crab regulations found in Chapter 68B-13, Florida Administrative Code (F.A.C.).

The effect of this rule amendment will be to create a Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration system to improve estimates of participation and fishing effort in the recreational stone crab trap fishery, and to improve recreational harvest data collection by identifying the population of recreational harvesters targeting stone crabs with traps. This rule amendment will require certain recreational harvesters to report their intention to harvest or attempt to harvest stone crabs using traps in Florida waters or adjacent federal waters by completing the Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration each year, and will require recreational harvesters to permanently mark each trap used to target stone crabs with a unique recreational stone crab trap identification number assigned by the Commission. Children under 16 years of age, as well as harvesters fishing from state-licensed for-hire vessels or harvesters fishing from a state-licensed recreational fishing vessel would be exempt from the reporting and trap marking requirements. Additionally, this rule amendment will modify the commercial Stone Crab Trap Limitation Program regulations to require that commercial stone crab harvesters maintain active commercial licenses to retain their stone crab trap allotment.

SUMMARY:

This rule amendment would create a Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration system, which would require certain recreational harvesters to report their intention to harvest or attempt to harvest stone crabs using traps in Florida waters or adjacent federal waters each year, and would also require recreational harvesters to permanently mark each trap used to target stone crabs with unique recreational stone crab trap identification numbers assigned by the Commission. Additionally, this rule amendment would require commercial harvesters to maintain active commercial licenses to retain their commercial stone crab trap allotment.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

8/13/2018 Vol. 44/157

COMMENTS:

From 8/13/2018 To 9/3/2018 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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