68B-13.010. Stone Crab Trap Limitation Program

(1) PURPOSE AND INTENT. Rapid growth of Florida’s stone crab trap industry has led to an excessive number of traps in the water, declining yields per trap, and an increase in conflicts between stone crabbers and shrimp trawlers. The expanding number of traps, buoys and ropes impede navigation and damage hard bottom and sea grass beds. In an effort to solve these problems, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is establishing a trap limitation program for the stone crab fishery in which the principal goal is to stabilize the fishery while generating an optimum sustainable yield utilizing the fewest number of traps.

(2) CERTIFICATES AND TRAP TAGS. Each holder of a stone crab trap endorsement must have a certificate on record for each stone crab trap used or possessed in or on the water. In addition, attached to each trap shall be a tag, issued annually by the Commission, which corresponds to a valid certificate.

(a) Certificates.

1. A person is eligible for the initial allocation of stone crab trap certificates if he or she possessed a saltwater products license (SPL) with a restricted species endorsement and a stone crab endorsement during the 1999/2000 fishing season, and can establish pursuant to Commission trip ticket records generated under the provisions of Section 379.365, F.S., that he or she had at least 300 pounds of stone crab claw landings associated with any one SPL, during any one fishing season from 1993/1994 through 1998/1999. A SPL with less than 300 pounds is not eligible to receive stone crab trap certificates.

2. Once eligible, a person will qualify for the initial allocation of certificates for each SPL based on whichever is less, the number of traps listed on the SPL application, or the pounds of claws landed divided by 2, as reported through the trip ticket program during any one of the applicable fishing seasons. The number of certificates allocated will be based on the highest cumulative total of qualified certificates for each SPL during one fishing season, 1995/1996 through 1997/1998.

a. A person who possesses an individual SPL and a vessel SPL with the number of traps listed only on one license’s application form and landings primarily reported on the other license shall be considered to have only one SPL for purpose of this section and allocated trap certificates as described above.

b. A person who has purchased another’s stone crab business, between July 1, 1995 and July 1, 2000 shall receive the trap certificates allocated to the seller, without a passive reduction, provided that they can submit documentation showing that the seller’s landings history was specifically part of the sale-purchase agreement. Acceptable documentation includes a copy of a contract or bill of sale specifically identifying landings history as one of the items included in the sale of the business or a letter from the seller to the Commission stating that he/she is the recipient of the original trap certificate allocation and describing what specifically was included in the sale of the business. The seller of a stone crab business that included the landings history cannot receive an additional allocation of certificates based on landings subsequent to sale of that business. Any trap certificates obtained through purchase of a stone crab business after July 1, 2000 will be subject to passive reduction at the time of transfer.

3. Certificates shall only be issued to natural persons. For the purposes of this section, the term “natural person,” or “person,” refers to a human being and does not include a firm, organization, partnership, association, corporation, or other business or legal entity or group or combination. All endorsement holders other than natural persons shall designate the person or persons to whom they are assigning their certificates and the number thereof to each, if more than one person is designated, on Commission Form DMF-SL3070 (07-01) (Certificate Designation for Business or Corporation), incorporated herein by reference.

4. A firm, organization, partnership, association, corporation, or other business entity or legal entity or group or combination can neither receive an initial allocation nor purchase and possess in their name stone crab trap certificates.

5. Certificates shall only be issued to persons who possess a current year saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement, neither of which are under suspension or revocation.

6. The Commission shall notify all holders of a 1999/2000 saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement of their initial allocation of stone crab trap certificates; those persons will indicate either their acceptance of or intent to appeal the initial allocation on Commission Forms DMF-SL3050 (07-01) (Statement of Acceptance or Appeal of Stone Crab Certificate Allocation), and DMF-SL 3060 (07-01) (Application for Appeal/Review of Stone Crab Trap Certificate Allocation), incorporated herein by reference.

7. In no event shall any person, firm, corporation, or other business entity, possess or control, directly or indirectly, more than 1% of the total available certificates issued in any fishing season.

8. Certificates will only be issued in whole numbers; there are no fractional certificates.

9. There must be one or more certificates allocated to a certificate holder in order for the certificate holder to have a trap certificate account established. A person may have a saltwater products license/stone crab endorsement with no trap certificates; a person may not receive trap certificates without a stone crab endorsement.

10. Partial payment of annual certificate fees will not be accepted. However, upon receipt of the trap certificate billing statement for 2002/2003 stone crab trap tags, a certificate holder may submit fees for only those trap certificates that they wish to retain in their account. Any trap certificates for which the fees are not paid at that time will be forfeited and permanently removed from the fishery.

11. Stone crab trap certificates and tags shall not be issued to certificate holders until all license fees, certificate fees, surcharges and any other outstanding fees owed the Commission have been paid in full and are current and the certificate holder’s SPL, stone crab endorsement are not otherwise inactive.

12. Trap certificates are considered to be inactive if:

a. The certificate holder fails to renew his/her saltwater products license or has his/her license suspended or revoked,

b. The certificate holder does not renew his/her stone crab endorsement or the endorsement has been suspended or revoked,

c. All annual certificate fees have not been paid in full, or

d. The certificate holder is deceased.

13. After the 2002/2003 fishing year, the fees for unpaid certificates will accumulate each year a certificate holder fails to pay his or her annual certificate fee. Partial payment of accumulated certificate fees will not be accepted. However, any number of certificates may be permanently surrendered by the certificate holder at any time by completing Commission Form DMF-SL0500 (7-04), incorporated herein by reference. In the event a holder’s annual certificate fee is not paid for a period of 3 years, the certificates shall be considered abandoned and permanently removed from the pool of available certificates. All prior certificate fees must be paid in order to keep certificates current and avoid a declaration of abandonment.

14. In the event a holder’s trap certificates are inactive pursuant to sub-subparagraphs 12.a.-12.c. for a period of 3 years, the certificates shall be considered abandoned and permanently removed from the pool of available certificates.

(b) Trap tags. Beginning October 1, 2002, each trap used for the directed harvest of stone crabs in state waters or adjacent federal waters shall, in addition to having the stone crab endorsement number permanently attached as required in paragraph 68B-13.008(3)(a), F.A.C., also have firmly affixed thereto a current trap tag issued annually by the Commission. Each such tag shall be made of durable plastic or material similarly durable and shall have printed thereon the owner’s endorsement number. The number of trap tags issued to each endorsement holder shall not exceed the number of trap certificates held by the endorsement holder at the time of issuance. To facilitate enforcement and record keeping, such tags shall be issued each year in a different color from that of each of the previous 3 years. Traps with tags which are not firmly affixed by nails, staples, or otherwise securely fastened as may be provided by the Commission, shall be considered untagged for enforcement purposes. A federal stone crab trap tag issued by the National Marine Fisheries Service meets the requirements of this rule for traps fished in federal waters or in transit to federal waters.

(c) Lost or damaged tags may be replaced using Commission Form DMF-SL3010 (07-01) (Stone Crab Trap Tag Replacement Application), herein incorporated by reference, and upon proper verification of loss as defined in paragraph (e), below, and payment of the replacement tag fee. Damaged tags must be returned to the Commission.

(d) Cost of the replacement tags for tags lost in the event of a major natural disaster will reasonably reflect the actual cost incurred by the Commission, which is construed to include shipping and handling fees.

(3) CERTIFICATE TRANSFERABILITY AND PASSIVE REDUCTION. After initial issuance, trap certificates are transferable on a market basis and may be transferred for a fair market value agreed upon between the transferor and transferee.

(a) Transfer window. Trap certificates shall only be transferred from the trap certificate account of one person to the account of another between May 1 and the end of February. Requests received by the Commission before May 1 or postmarked after the end of February of the current license year will not be processed. However, requests to transfer trap certificates received after February 15 may not be completed during the current season if all required information and fees are not also received at that time.

(b) Both the purchaser and seller of stone crab trap certificates must hold a valid saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement at the time of transfer.

(c) A person who intends to close their trap certificate account by transferring all of their trap certificates to another person, and does not qualify for the restricted species endorsement, shall be exempt from the restricted species requirement of paragraph 68B-13.006(1)(a), F.A.C.

(d) Transfer of any certificates shall, within 72 hours thereof, be reported on either Commission Form DMF-SL3000a (10-16) (Stone Crab Trap Certificate Transfer Application – Standard), found online at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07678), or Commission Form DMF-SL3000b (10-16) (Stone Crab Trap Certificate Transfer Application – Immediate Family, found online at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-07676), incorporated herein by reference, which has been signed by both parties, notarized and hand delivered or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Commission for recording in the seller’s and purchaser’s trap certificate accounts. No transfer of any certificates will be effective, resulting in the issuance of transfer tags, until:

1. The Commission receives the notarized transfer form from the seller; and,

2. The Commission receives a notarized copy of the bill of sale from the purchaser; and,

3. All outstanding license fees, endorsement fees, trap tag fees, transfer fees, surcharges and any other charges owed to the Commission by either party in the transaction are paid; and,

4. The saltwater products license, stone crab endorsement, and all certificates or other required licenses, endorsements or authorizations held by both parties in the transaction are not suspended, revoked, or inactive.

(e) The certificate holder transferring his/her trap certificates shall designate in detail which type of certificates (A1, A2 or B) are being transferred, and in what combinations thereof. B-certificates will be reduced prior to A-certificates at the time of transfer.

(f) Upon the sale or transfer of certificates outside the immediate family of the certificate holder, the number of certificates received by the purchaser shall be reduced by the following percentages depending on the overall number of certificates available to harvesters throughout the state at the time of sale:

1. If more than 1 1/2 million certificates are available, there shall be a 25 percent reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

2. If more than 1 1/4 million, but fewer than 1 1/2 million certificates are available, there shall be a 22 1/2 percent reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

3. If more than 1 million, but fewer than 1 1/4 million certificates are available, there shall be an 18 1/2 percent reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

4. If more than 3/4 of a million, but fewer than 1 million certificates are available, there shall be a 15 percent reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

5. If more than 600,000, but fewer than 3/4 of a million certificates are available, there shall be a 10 percent reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

6. When 600,000 certificates or fewer are available, there shall be no percentage reduction in the number of certificates received by the purchaser.

(g) If the percentage reduction results in a fractional number, that fraction, which represents a partial trap certificate/trap, will be rounded off to the nearest whole number, representing a whole trap certificate/trap. Only whole trap certificates will be removed from an account during reduction.

(h) The Commission will maintain records of all certificates and their transfers and annually provide each endorsement holder with a statement of their certificate account.

(i) In the event of death or disability, endorsements and certificates may be transferred to a member of the immediate family without the family member being subject to any transfer fees or a reduction in the number of certificates transferred. However, certificates will only be transferred if all outstanding license fees, endorsement fees, trap tag fees, surcharges and any other charges owed by either party to the Commission are paid, and both parties’ saltwater products license, stone crab endorsement, and all certificates or other required licenses, endorsements or authorizations are not suspended, revoked or inactive.

(j) A person is eligible for the reduced transfer fee of Section 379.365(1)(b)2., F.S., if he/she:

1. Has crew share statements and IRS Forms 1099 and 1040 or IRS Forms W2 and 1040 showing participation in the stone crab fishery as a crew member on a properly licensed vessel during at least one of two previous stone crab fishing seasons,

2. Qualifies for a restricted species endorsement,

3. Is sponsored by a captain who has knowledge and expertise in the stone crab fishery with annual landings of stone crab claws of at least 1000 pounds in any two of the previous three stone crab seasons and who certifies, on Commission Form DMF-SL3020 (07-01) (Eligible Mate, Stone Crab Certificate Sponsorship Form), incorporated herein by reference, that the person is knowledgeable and possesses skills necessary for participation in the stone crab fishery; and,

4. Has not received an initial allocation of one or more stone crab trap certificates from the Commission.

A person requesting the reduced transfer fee shall submit their request, with supporting eligibility documentation, at the same time they submit the stone crab trap certificate transfer application (Form DMF-SL 3000 (07-01)) to report their first purchase of trap certificates. Once eligible, a person will receive the reduced transfer fee on all purchases of trap certificates made within a 12 month period beginning with the date of first purchase.

(k) Each year as the numbers of certificates are reduced, the Commission may make up to 5% of the total amount of reduced certificates available to persons properly licensed and qualified to harvest stone crabs pursuant to the requirements of this rule chapter.

(4) LEASING PROHIBITED. The leasing of stone crab certificates or the corresponding trap tags is prohibited.

(5) INCIDENTAL TAKE ENDORSEMENT. Persons possessing valid crawfish or blue crab endorsements, but who do not also possess a valid stone crab endorsement, may land and sell 5 gallons of stone crab claws per day if the stone crab claws are harvested from legal crawfish or blue crab traps and the crawfish or blue crab endorsement holder also possesses a valid stone crab incidental take endorsement. Application for an incidental take endorsement shall be on Commission Form DMF-SL2800 (07-01) (Application for a Stone Crab Incidental Take Endorsement (I#)), incorporated herein by reference.

(6) NO VESTED RIGHTS. The stone crab trap limitation program does not create any vested rights for endorsement or certificate holders whatsoever and may be altered or terminated by the Commission as necessary to protect the stone crab resource, the participants in the fishery, or the public interest.

(7) STONE CRAB ADVISORY BOARD. There is hereby established the Stone Crab Advisory Board. Such board shall consider and advise the Commission on the operation of the trap limitation program and any problems in the fishery.

(a)1. Board Composition. The board shall consist of a member of the Commission staff appointed by the executive director, and eight members appointed by the executive director according to the following criteria, except as otherwise provided in subparagraph 2.:

a. All appointed members other than the commission staff person, shall be stone crab trap certificate holders. At least two shall hold fewer than 1000 certificates, at least two shall hold at least 1000 but no more than 3000 certificates, and at least two shall hold more than 3000 certificates.

b. At least one member shall come from each of the following regions:

(I) Wakulla, Taylor, Dixie, or Levy Counties,

(II) Citrus, Hernando, Pasco, Pinellas, or Hillsborough Counties; and,

(III) Manatee, Sarasota, Charlotte, or Lee Counties.

(IV) Collier, Monroe and Dade Counties.

c. At least one appointed member shall be a person of Hispanic origin capable of speaking conversational English and Spanish.

d. The initial Board members will consist of the members of the stone crab Trap Certificate Advisory and Appeals Board, which Board sunsets on July 1, 2003.

2. If there are not enough individuals that meet the above-referenced criteria, the executive director of the Commission may fill any position on the initial board with an individual who does not fulfill the requirements of subparagraph 1. However, as soon as individuals are available that meet the requirements of subparagraph 1., the executive director may replace any individual who does not meet the above-referenced criteria, and fill the position on the board with the qualified appointees. The executive director of the commission shall replace any board member who is cited for and convicted of a violation of Chapter 68B-13, F.A.C., or who misses more than two scheduled meetings of the board without approval from the board chair with another stone crab fisherman from any region.

3. Stone crab endorsement holders wanting to be considered for appointment to the Stone Crab Advisory Board shall make their request on Commission form DMF-SL3080 (07-03) (Application for Stone Crab Advisory Board), incorporated herein by reference.

(b) Meetings. The staff member of the Commission appointed by the executive director shall sit on the board as a voting member. The board shall annually elect a chair and a vice chair. There shall be no limitation on successive terms that may be served by a chair or vice chair. The board shall meet at the call of its chair, at the request of a majority of its membership, at the request of the Commission, or at such times as may be prescribed by its procedural rules. Official action of the board shall require a majority vote of the total membership of the board present at the meeting.

(c) Terms. Board members shall serve staggered terms of three years, provided however that this shall not apply to the commission staff member who serves at the pleasure of the executive director. Three terms will expire on July 1, 2004, three terms will expire on July 1, 2005, and two terms will expire on July 1, 2006.

(d) Expenses. Members of the board shall receive no compensation, however, they shall be reimbursed for per diem and travel expenses as provided in Section 112.061, F.S.

(e) Final Action. Upon reaching a decision on any problem brought before it, the board shall submit such decision as a recommendation to the executive director of the Commission. The executive director may submit said recommendation(s) to the Commission at his or her discretion.

(f) Board Authority. The Board shall have the authority to conduct workshops with fishermen to determine what problems exist in the fishery and to make recommendations to solve those problems.

(g) Dissolution. On July 1, 2011, the board shall be dissolved.

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const., 379.365 FS. History–New 7-1-00, Amended 7-22-01, 6-2-02, 7-1-03, 7-15-04, 7-13-08, 5-1-11, 7-1-11, 12-28-16, 10-1-19.