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Florida Administrative Code (Last Updated: April 18, 2024) |
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68. Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission |
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68B. Marine Fisheries |
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68B-31. Shrimp |
1(1) Trawls are hereby declared to be allowable gear for the directed harvest of shrimp, as defined in subsection 2068B-31.006(21), 21F.A.C., or calico scallops, as authorized in Rule 2968B-53.006, 30F.A.C., only. To the extent that other marine species are harvested with a trawl as an incidental bycatch of the directed harvest of shrimp, the quantity of such other species that may be retained are subject to the limits specified in other chapters of Division 68B of the F.A.C.
79(2) No person shall operate or fish in nearshore and inshore Florida waters any trawl with a net or bag containing more than 500 square feet of mesh area.
108(3) Biscayne National Park – As provided in Rule 68B-7.008, F.A.C., no person shall operate a trawl within the No-Trawl Zones of Biscayne National Park.
133(4) For purposes of this chapter:
139(a) “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.
230(b) “Nearshore and inshore Florida waters” means all Florida waters inside a line three nautical miles seaward of the coastline along the Gulf of Mexico and inside a line one nautical mile seaward of the coastline along the Atlantic Ocean.
270(c) “Florida waters” means the waters of the Atlantic Ocean, the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, and any other bodies of water under the jurisdiction of the State of Florida, whether coastal, intracoastal or inland, and any part thereof.
311(d) “Coastline” means the territorial sea base line for the State of Florida established pursuant to the laws of the United States of America.
335(e) The term “unconnected” shall be construed to mean two trawls independently towed from a single vessel, except that two trawls each of which is attached to a sled in lieu of the inner door of each trawl shall be considered unconnected if a separation of at least 10 feet is maintained at all times during trawling.
392Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, and Art. X, Sec. 16, Florida Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, and Art. X, Sec. 16, Florida Const. History–New 1-1-96, Amended 3-1-99, Formerly 46-31.0035, Amended 7-1-20, 5-1-22.
