The purpose of this rule development is to modify the boundary of the area defined in rule as Boca Grande Pass in order to reflect changes made by the United States Coast Guard (USCG) to the navigation buoys marking Boca Grande Channel. In February 2016, the USCG completed a channel marker redesign project for Boca Grande Channel to ensure that the marked channel better aligned with the current location and configuration of the natural channel. As part of this project, the USCG removed the #12 red buoy marking the entrance to the Boca Grande Channel, and replaced it with a new buoy (Charlotte Harbor Channel LB 6) located 0.21 miles (approximately 1,096 feet) to the east-southeast (see attached map). Because the #12 red buoy was used as a reference point in the Commission’s rule that defines the boundary of Boca Grande Pass for purposes of implementing specific fishing gear restrictions that apply within this area, the rule needs to be amended. The effect of this change would be to amend 68B-4.018, F.A.C. (Boca Grande Pass Gear Restrictions), to modify the boundary of Boca Grande Pass by deleting the reference to the #12 red buoy that has been removed and incorporate the location of the new buoy, Charlotte Harbor Channel LB 6, as the western boundary point. This proposed change will ensure that the boundary of the area where the Boca Grande Gear Restrictions apply aligns with the current configuration of the navigation buoys marking Boca Grande Channel. This change reduces the size of the area where the Boca Grande Pass Gear Restrictions apply by a total of 0.12 square miles.