68B-31.0062. Southeast Region: Allowable Gear and Harvest Methods; Prohibited Gear; Seasonal and Spatial Trawling Restrictions  


Effective on Thursday, September 19, 2024
  • 1Each person harvesting or attempting to harvest shrimp in the Southeast Region shall comply with the requirements specified in this rule.

    22(1) Recreational Harvesters.

    25(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b) for Miami-Dade County, a recreational harvester may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from Florida Waters of the Southeast Region by or with the use of gear or methods not expressly permitted in subsection 6968B-31.006(1), 70F.A.C.

    71(b) A recreational harvester may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from Florida Waters of Miami-Dade County by or with the use of a frame net100.

    101(2) Live Bait Shrimp Producers. A live bait shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from Florida Waters of the Southeast Region by or with the use of gear or methods not expressly permitted in paragraph 14268B-31.006(2)(b), 143F.A.C.

    144(3) Food Shrimp Producers. 148In all nearshore and inshore Florida Waters of the Southeast Region, a food shrimp producer may harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp only by or with the use of the following gear:

    180(a) Wing nets meeting the following specifications:

    1871. A wing net may not have an opening larger than 28 feet around the perimeter.

    2032. No more than two unconnected wing nets may be attached to or fished from a single vessel.

    2213. A wing net may not be fished by towing or dragging it over the bottom.

    2374. Each wing net shall be no larger in mesh area than specified by paragraph 25268B-31.006(2)(a), 253F.A.C.

    254(b) A frame net, deployed from a vessel, meeting the following specifications:

    2661. A frame net may not have an opening larger than 28 feet around the perimeter.

    2822. No more than one frame net may be fished from a single vessel.

    2963. A frame net may not be fished from a vessel also using wing nets.

    3114. A frame net may not be fished by towing or dragging it across the bottom.

    3275. Each frame net shall be no larger in mesh area than specified by paragraph 34268B-31.006(2)(a), 343F.A.C.

    344(c) In all waters of the Southeast Region outside nearshore and inshore Florida Waters, a food shrimp producer may not use any otter trawl, or possess any otter trawl that is rigged for fishing aboard any vessel, if such trawl does not have a bycatch reduction device (BRD) installed meeting the requirements of subsection 39868B-31.006(4), 399F.A.C.

    400(4) Seasonal and Spatial Trawling Restrictions.

    406(a) Beginning October 1 and continuing through May 31 of the following year, a person may not use any trawl within Florida Waters of the Gulf of Mexico east of a continuous line drawn from Point U through points V, W, X, Y, Z, and AA:

    452Point

    453North Latitude

    455West Longitude

    457U

    45824°37.06459'

    46081°36.75461'

    462V

    46324°49.30'

    46481°46.40'

    465W

    46624°54.50'

    46781°50.50'

    468X

    46925°09.00'

    47081°47.60'

    471Y

    47226°00.00'

    47382°04.00'

    474Z

    47526°16.00'

    47681°58.50'

    477AA

    47826°16.00479'

    48081°49.57481'

    482(b) Biscayne National Park – As provided in Rule 68B-7.008, F.A.C., a person may not use a trawl within the No-Trawl Zones of Biscayne National Park.

    508Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History–New 9-19-24.