Published on: 21820070. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Commission) is considering several changes to state reef fish regulations based on stakeholder input. The purpose of these rule amendments is to update reef fish regulations to align with stakeholder requests. Several of these changes would result in increased consistency with regulations for adjacent federal waters, may result in longer fishing seasons for federally-permitted commercial fishermen, or reduce regulatory dead discards. In addition, this rulemaking includes several technical changes to rule, corrects outdated references to federal rules, streamlines gag and black grouper minimum size limit language, and clarifies that the import size limit for gag grouper is 24 inches, which is the same as the minimum size limit for harvest statewide.
The effect of the proposed rule amendments would be:
• Blueline tilefish is designated a restricted species. This designation means commercial harvesters must have a Restricted Species Endorsement (RS) for harvest and sale of blueline tilefish. This may result in a longer blueline tilefish season for federally-permitted Atlantic commercial fishermen.
• The commercial minimum size limit for almaco jack is set at 20 inches fork length for Atlantic state waters. This will end harvest of small fish, increase reproductive potential of the stock, and may lengthen the fishing season. The South Atlantic Council recently approved a 20-inch commercial minimum size limit for Atlantic federal waters.
• The minimum size limit for blackfin, queen, and silk snapper is removed. These deep-water fish are extremely susceptible to barotrauma, thus allowing fishermen to keep any of these fish that they catch will reduce dead discards. This matches current and pending regulations in federal waters.
• Outdated commercial vessel limit and season language for Atlantic red porgy is removed. Because other provisions in FWC rule require commercial harvesters to follow federal vessel limits and seasons in Atlantic state waters, removing this outdated rule language would reduce confusion.
• Technical updates are made and outdated references to federal rules are corrected.
• The minimum size limit rule language for gag and black grouper is streamlined and the gag grouper import size limit is clarified.
Published on: 21429451. The purpose and effect of this rule development notice is to address possible rule amendments for reef fish in the 2019 calendar year as a result of stock assessments, federal regulatory actions or other management or enforcement requirements.
Published on: 20078144. The purpose and effect of this rule development notice is to address possible rule amendments for reef fish in the 2018 calendar year resulting from stock assessments, federal regulatory actions or other management or enforcement requirements.
Published on: 19236960. This federal consistency action would modify existing reef fish regulations for hogfish to be consistent with proposed regulations in Atlantic and Gulf federal waters. Specifically, it would set a new management boundary for Atlantic and Gulf hogfish at a line due west of Cape Sable (25°09’ North Latitude) in the Gulf of Mexico; increase the harvest minimum size limit from 12 inches to 16 inches in the Atlantic and to 14 inches in the Gulf; increase the importation and sale minimum size limit from 12 inches to 14 inches statewide; reduce the recreational bag limit from five to one fish per person in the Atlantic; and set the recreational season to be May 1 through October 31 in the Atlantic. Recent analysis indicates there are two stocks of hogfish off Florida: a Gulf stock and a Keys/East Florida stock. The Keys/East Florida stock is overfished and undergoing overfishing and changes to regulations are necessary to rebuild the stock. The Gulf stock is neither overfished nor undergoing overfishing. The purposes of these rules are to facilitate rebuilding of the Keys/East Florida hogfish stock and to achieve consistency between the Commission’s Atlantic and Gulf hogfish regulations and regulations in adjacent federal waters.
Based on the identification of two hogfish stocks off Florida and the stock assessments, the South Atlantic and Gulf federal fishery management councils approved new regulations for hogfish in federal waters, including a new management boundary north of the Florida Keys at Cape Sable in the Gulf of Mexico, which more closely aligns with the biological stock boundary. Federal law requires the South Atlantic Council to end overfishing of the Keys/East Florida hogfish stock immediately and to implement regulations to rebuild the stock within 10 years. To that end, the South Atlantic Council approved changes to regulations, including increasing the minimum size limit for harvest to 16 inches, reducing the recreational bag limit to one fish per person, and creating a recreational harvest season from May through October. The regulations for the Keys/East Florida hogfish stock are intended to balance stock rebuilding with continued public access to the resource. Additionally, the recreational season will reduce fishing pressure on hogfish during their November through April spawning season. The Gulf Council increased the hogfish minimum size limit for the Gulf stock to 14 inches based on stakeholder requests. The change would allow more hogfish to spawn before harvest. These Atlantic and Gulf federal rule changes will take effect on August 24, 2017.
The effects of these rules are that the public will continue to have access to the Keys/East Florida hogfish resource while the stock rebuilds and that state and federal regulations can be applied more consistently to recreational and commercial fishing activity for hogfish in the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico.
Published on: 18133876. The most recent hogfish stock assessment found the Keys/East Florida stock of hogfish is overfished and undergoing overfishing. Federal law requires the Council to implement regulations to end overfishing and to rebuild the Florida Keys/East Florida hogfish stock. The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council approved a May 1 through October 31 recreational hogfish season in Atlantic federal waters off Florida and in Gulf federal waters south of 25°09’ North Latitude as a measure to rebuild the Keys/East Florida stock of hogfish and prevent overfishing while optimizing recreational harvest opportunities. The November through April closed season corresponds with the hogfish spawning season. Implementation of the federal rule is pending approval by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
The purpose of this proposed rule is to establish a May 1 through October 31 recreational season for harvest of hogfish in all state waters of the Atlantic Ocean and south of 25°09’ North Latitude in the Gulf of Mexico to be consistent with the pending federal rule. Recreational harvest of hogfish from these waters outside this season would be prohibited. The recreational fishery takes the vast majority hogfish harvested from the Keys/East Florida stock, and over 68% of recreational harvest from this stock occurs in state waters. Consequently, recreational harvest in state waters will be a determining factor in rebuilding this stock and ending overfishing. In addition to aiding in rebuilding of the stock, consistent state and federal regulations will simplify regulations for recreational harvesters.
The effects of the proposed rule are to make the state recreational hogfish season consistent with the pending rule for adjacent federal waters, and to facilitate the rebuilding of the Keys/East Florida hogfish stock. This will create a predictable hogfish season for recreational harvesters, which also overlaps with the popular diving season in the Keys. Lastly, Keys/East Florida hogfish will be protected from recreational harvest during their spawning season.