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Florida Administrative Code (Last Updated: June 27, 2024) |
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68. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
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68B. Marine Fisheries |
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68B-50. Baitfish Trawl Fisheries |
68B-50.001. Baitfish Trawls: Allowed for Directed Harvest of Listed Species in Northwest Region; Bycatch Allowance; Open Areas and Seasons; Gear Specifications; Definitions
1(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:
31(a) Menhaden – Genus 35Brevoortia36.
37(b) Round herring – 41Etrumeus teres43.
44(c) Scaled sardine – 48Harengula jaguana.
50(d) Atlantic thread herring – 55Opisthonema oglinum57.
58(e) Sardines – Genus 62Sardinella.
63(f) Anchovies – Genus 67Anchoa.
68(g) Round scad – 72Decapterus punctatus.
74(h) Chub mackerel – 78Scomber japonicus80.
81(i) Blue runner – 85Caranx crysos87.
88(j) Ladyfish – 91Elops saurus93.
94(2) Bycatch Allowance – Species harvested as an incidental bycatch of other species lawfully harvested in a baitfish trawl pursuant to this rule, other than those listed in subsection (1), shall not be deemed to have been unlawfully harvested or landed in violation of this rule if the combined whole weight of the bycatch does not exceed ten percent by weight of all fish in possession of the harvester at any time. This allowed bycatch shall include fish that are retained and subject to the limits specified in other chapters of Title 46 of the F.A.C.
190(3) Open Areas and Seasons – Baitfish trawls shall be allowable gear for the directed harvest of the species specified in subsection (1), but only in state waters seaward of the Colregs Demarcation Line in the Northwest Region, beginning on April 1 and continuing through November 15 each year. This subsection shall be effective beginning July 1, 1996, and continuing through November 15, 1998. Thereafter, baitfish trawls shall not be allowable gear in any state waters, without further amendment of this rule.
272(4) Gear Specifications – Any baitfish trawl used for the directed harvest of the finfish bait species listed in subsection (1), shall meet the following specification and operational requirements:
301(a) No baitfish trawl shall be towed for more than 30 minutes, beginning when the trawl is placed in the water and ending when the trawl is completely removed from the water.
333(b) In the open areas specified in subsection (3), no more than two unconnected baitfish trawls, each with a perimeter around the leading edge of the net not greater than 66 feet and a mesh area not greater than 500 square feet, shall be fished or deployed from any vessel.
383(c) No baitfish trawl or any part thereof shall contact the sea floor. This specification shall not be construed to prohibit the use of no more than two weights connected to the leg lines of a trawl that may contact the sea floor while the trawl is towed and fished at the surface of the water.
439(d) No baitfish trawl shall be deployed or fished that has a mesh size less than 1 1/4 inches stretched mesh in the cod end. The use of any liner or insert in the cod end with a smaller mesh is prohibited.
481(5) Definitions – For purposes of this rule:
489(a) “Baitfish trawl” means a net in the form of an elongated bag with the mouth kept open by various means and buoyed by enough floats to assure that when it is towed and fished, it will be visible at and tend the surface of the water.
536(b) “Cod end,” also known as the “tail” or “bag” of a shrimp trawl, means the terminal cylinder of heavy webbing in which the catch is concentrated as the trawl is fished and which is closed at its rearmost extent by means of purse line or draw string.
585(c) “Mesh area” of a net means the total area of netting with the meshes open to comprise the maximum square footage. The square footage shall be calculated using standard mathematical formulas for geometric shapes. The mesh area of a trawl shall be calculated as a cone using the maximum circumference of the net mouth to derive the radius, and the maximum length of the net with meshes open from the center of the headrope at the net mouth to the tail end of the net to derive the slant height.
676(d) “Northwest Region” means all state waters of Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf, and Franklin counties, and all state waters of Wakulla County west of the following described line:
707Beginning at the St. Marks Lighthouse, proceed southerly on a straight line to flashing channel marker #1; thence, southerly in a straight line to a point on the state waters boundary where a straight line from flashing channel marker #1 to flashing bell buoy #24 intersects with said boundary.
756(e) “Perimeter” means the opening or entrance to a baitfish trawl formed and limited by attachment of the net mesh to a line or frame, which line or frame is securely attached so as to form a continuous perimeter around the leading edge of the net. The perimeter so formed is measured from point to point along the line or frame forming the leading edge of the net.
824Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History–New 6-3-96, Formerly 46-50.001.
