Summary


These proposed rule amendments would reorganize and clarify regulations related to shrimping in Florida Waters. The changes in these amendments are part of Marine Fisheries Rule Cleanup, a long-term, ongoing effort to clarify, streamline, and standardize marine fisheries rules to make regulations easier to read, understand, and enforce, without changing the effect or intent of these regulations or how they are applied. Current shrimp regulations lack an easy-to-follow organizational structure and are dispersed across several rules in different chapters within Division 68B, F.A.C. In addition, some shrimp rules in 68B-31, F.AC., contain outdated terminology, others may not convey the original intent of certain regulations, and others no longer align with current fishery practices. This has resulted in shrimp regulations that can be difficult to find, understand, and enforce. The proposed rule amendments would make clarifying or non-substantive updates to implement standardized rule formatting and organization consistent with the Marine Fisheries Rule Clean-up process, as well as revise outdated language to better align with current fishery practices, application of shrimp regulations, and taxonomic classifications. The proposed rules would also make substantive changes to convey the original intent of certain regulations or to better align with current fishery practices and therefore would reduce confusion and improve the enforceability of shrimp regulations. Thirteen rule repeals are proposed for the purpose of redistributing shrimp regulations throughout the proposed final rules in Chapter 68B-31, F.A.C., to correspond with the proposed reorganization of Florida’s shrimp regulations: 68B-31.0045, 68B-31.010, 68B-31.011, 68B-31.012, 68B-31.013, 68B-31.0135, 68B-31.0136, 68B-31.014, 68B-31.0155, 68B-31.0157, 68B-31.016, 68B-31.017, and 68B-31.019, F.A.C. Three additional repeals are proposed for rules 68B-31.0035, 68B-31.0156, and 68B-31.018, F.A.C., where unnecessary or outdated provisions are proposed for repeal with remaining language redistributed throughout the proposed final rules in Chapter 68B-31, F.A.C., to correspond with the proposed reorganization of Florida’s shrimp regulations.