68B-42.0065. Commercial Requirements; Endorsements; Requalifying; Appeals; Leasing; Transferability

(1)(a) Beginning in the 2005/2006 license year, in addition to a valid saltwater products license with a valid restricted species endorsement, a marine life tiered endorsement is required to harvest marine life species within or without state waters in quantities greater than the recreational bag limit or to sell marine life species as defined by Rule 68B-42.001, F.A.C.

(b) A marine life endorsement is not required to harvest live rock from a certified state aquaculture lease or federally permitted aquaculture site.

(2) The Commission shall notify all holders of a 2004/2005 saltwater products license with a marine life endorsement of their initial award or denial of a commercial marine life tiered endorsement. Persons will indicate either their acceptance of the initial award on a Marine Life Tiered Endorsement Application (Form DMF-SL4100 (2-05), incorporated herein by reference) or intent to appeal as specified in subsection (14).

(3) Application for issuance of a commercial marine life tiered endorsement (Form DMF-SL4100 (2-05), incorporated herein by reference), must be received by the Commission no later than September 30, 2005. An applicant may be a person, firm, or corporation.

(a) A tiered endorsement applicant must have held a valid marine life endorsement during the 2004/2005 license year. No new marine life tiered endorsement will be issued to an applicant who did not hold a valid saltwater products license with a valid restricted species endorsement and a marine life endorsement pursuant to Section 379.361, F.S., at the time of application or on June 30, 2005.

(b) Qualification for a marine life tiered endorsement shall be determined by landings of marine life species as defined by Rule 68B-42.001, F.A.C., and reported on a valid saltwater products license with a valid restricted species endorsement and a marine life endorsement (ML) and as specified in paragraph (c) of this subsection.

(c) Qualified endorsement applicants must have documented commercial marine life landings, pursuant to Commission trip ticket records generated under the provisions of Rule Chapter 68E-5, F.A.C., during the license year, July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000; the license year, July 1, 2000 through June 30, 2001; the license year, July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002; or during the license year, July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003. Qualifying landings must have been received by the FWC by January 1, 2004.

(d) Landings reported on all the applicant’s individual and vessel saltwater products licenses with the current marine life endorsement will be used to determine an applicant’s eligibility to receive one of the marine life tiered endorsements specified in subsections (4) through (6).

(4) Marine Life Bycatch Endorsement (MLB) – The marine life bycatch endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of marine life using bycatch gears as authorized in paragraph 68B-42.007(1)(f) and subsection 68B-42.007(3), F.A.C., which does not include harvest by diving.

(a) An applicant for the marine life bycatch endorsement must have an annual landings value of marine life as defined in paragraph (3)(b) of greater than zero dollars but less than $5,000 during any one of the qualifying years specified in paragraph (3)(c).

(b) A marine life bycatch endorsement will be issued on no more than one of an applicant’s saltwater products licenses in any one license year.

(c) A marine life bycatch endorsement is transferable pursuant to subsections (16) and (17).

(5) Marine Life Transferable Dive Endorsement (MLD) – The marine life transferable dive endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of marine life using all allowable gears as authorized in Rule 68B-42.007, F.A.C., which includes harvest by diving.

(a) No marine life transferable dive endorsement will be issued to an applicant who does not qualify by one of the following methods:

1. An applicant must have qualified as specified in subsection (3) and have documented commercial marine life landings as defined in paragraph (3)(b) of greater than or equal to $5,000 in any one of the qualifying years specified in paragraph (3)(c), and have documented dive landings during the qualifying years; or

2. An applicant must hold a live rock state lease or federal permit and have documented live rock landings value of greater than or equal to $5,000 during any one of the qualifying years specified in paragraph (3)(c) and held a marine life endorsement prior to 1998.

(b) A marine life transferable dive endorsement will be issued on no more than two of an applicant’s saltwater products licenses in any one license year, except that an individual who has qualified as specified in subparagraph (a)1. and who has additional landings values of commercial marine life landings pursuant to subsection (3) on a subsequent saltwater products license held by the applicant of greater than $10,000 may place the marine life transferable dive (MLD) on the additional vessel SPL(s) so qualified.

(c) A marine life transferable dive endorsement is transferable pursuant to subsections (16) and (17).

(6) Marine Life Non-transferable Dive Endorsement (MLN) – The marine life non-transferable dive endorsement is required to harvest commercial quantities of marine life by diving as defined in subsection 68B-42.002(3), F.A.C., using dive gears as authorized in paragraphs 68B-42.007(1)(a)-(e) and subsection 68B-42.007(2), F.A.C.

(a) No marine life non-transferable dive endorsements will be issued to an applicant who does not qualify by one of the following methods:

1. As specified in paragraph (4)(a); or

2. An applicant must hold a state live rock lease and/or a federal live rock permit and provide documentation of development of the site or sites and must have held a marine life endorsement prior to September 30, 2003.

(b) A marine life non-transferable dive endorsement will be issued on no more than one of an applicant’s saltwater products licenses in any one license year.

(c) A marine life non-transferable dive endorsement (MLN) is not transferable, except in the event of death or permanent disability pursuant to subsection (17).

(7) After initial issuance, no endorsement may be converted from one type to another, except as provided in subsection (12).

(8) No Vested Rights. This marine life effort management program does not create any vested rights for endorsement holders whatsoever and may be altered or terminated by the Commission as necessary to protect the marine life resource, the participants of the fishery, or the public interest.

(9) No person, firm, or corporation shall be issued more than one marine life tiered endorsement type or more than one unique marine life tiered endorsement number.

(10) Effective September 30, 2005, no additional tiered endorsements will be issued and no endorsement will be renewed or replaced except those that were issued pursuant to subsection (4), (5), or (6). Beginning in the 2006/2007 license year, persons holding an endorsement that was active during the 2005/2006 license year or an immediate family member of that person must request renewal of the endorsement before September 30 of each year. Failure to renew by September 30 of any year will result in forfeiture of the endorsement.

(11) Requalifying. Beginning with license year 2010/2011, a person renewing a marine life transferable dive (MLD) endorsement must document landings of $5,000 of marine life species as defined by Rule 68B-42.001, F.A.C., in one of the previous three license years or hold a live rock state lease or federal permit and have documented live rock landings value of greater than or equal to $5,000 during any one of the previous three license years. This endorsement will be valid for three years from the date of documentation used to qualify, but must still be renewed annually as required by subsection (10).

(12) A marine life transferable dive (MLD) endorsement can be converted to a marine life non-transferable dive (MLN) endorsement after the initial issuance. This MLN is not subject to the requalification requirements of subsection (11). This MLN can never be converted back to a MLD.

(13) A permanent marine life transferable dive (MLD) endorsement shall be available to those persons age 62 and older who held a valid MLD in the previous license year, hold a valid saltwater products license and valid restricted species endorsement at the time of application, and renew the permit pursuant to subsection (10).

(14) Appeals. The Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management, or one or more designees of the director, shall consider disputes and other problems arising from the initial denial of a commercial marine life tiered endorsement. The Director shall submit a recommendation to the Executive Director of the Commission for resolution of the appeal, which recommendation shall either allot an endorsement to the appellant or uphold the denial of an endorsement.

(a) An appeal of the initial denial or award of a commercial marine life tiered endorsement is initiated by submission and receipt of a completed appeals application (Form DMF-SL4110 (2-05), incorporated herein by reference) to the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management before April 1, 2005.

(b) The burden of proof shall be on an appellant to demonstrate, through copies of trip tickets or other proof of landings, legitimate sales to a licensed wholesale dealer that were not reported by the wholesale dealer during the qualifying years or included in the agency landings database as of January 1, 2004.

(c) Special circumstances that can be considered during appeals shall include:

1. Persons who became disabled or can document hardship during the qualifying period, but can provide proof of landings of marine life through trip tickets prior to the qualifying period.

2. Persons who were serving in the military during the qualifying years, but can provide proof of landings of marine life through trip tickets prior to the qualifying period.

3. Persons involved in a partnership substantiated by documentation within the qualifying period.

(d) The Executive Director of the Commission may accept or disapprove the recommendations of the Director of the Division of Marine Fisheries Management, with notice given in writing to each party in the dispute explaining the reasons for the final decision. The action of the Executive Director of the Commission constitutes final agency action, and is appealable pursuant to the requirements of Chapter 120, F.S.

(15) Leasing Prohibited. The leasing of marine life endorsements is prohibited.

(16) Transferability. After the initial issuance, the marine life bycatch (MLB) and marine life transferable dive endorsements (MLD) are transferable upon approval of the Commission under the following conditions:

(a) A transferable marine life endorsement may be sold to an otherwise qualified buyer at fair market value upon approval by the Commission.

(b) The buyer must hold a saltwater products license with a valid restricted species endorsement and the seller must hold a transferable marine life tiered endorsement.

(c) The sale or transfer of a marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD) will result in the forfeiture of the marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD) on all other licenses held by the seller.

(d) An endorsement holder may elect to permanently forfeit a marine life bycatch endorsement (MLB), a marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD), or a marine life non-transferable dive endorsement (MLN) to the Commission.

(e) A person who holds a valid marine life bycatch endorsement (MLB) cannot enter into a purchase agreement for a marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD) until they sell or permanently forfeit the marine life bycatch endorsement (MLB) at the time of transfer.

(f) A marine life bycatch endorsement (MLB) may be transferred, to any person who holds a saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement.

(g) A marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD) may be transferred to any person who holds a saltwater products license with a restricted species endorsement.

(h) If the marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD) has been applied to more than two saltwater products licenses as specified in paragraph (5)(b), only the initial MLD, which serves as an endorsement for no more than two saltwater products licenses, can be transferred. The sale of this portion of the endorsement will result in the forfeiture of the endorsement on all other licenses held by the seller.

(i) The marine life non-transferable dive (MLN) endorsement is not transferable except as specified in subsection (17).

(j) A person who wishes to transfer a tiered endorsement shall submit a notarized statement of intent, that has been signed by both parties to the transaction, hand delivered, or sent by certified mail, return receipt requested, to the Commission 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. A transfer request must be received by the Commission within three days of the date of the notarized signature of the intended recipient. The statement of intent (Form DMF-SL4120 (2-11), Marine Life Endorsement Transfer Form, found online at: http://www.flrules.org/Gateway/reference.asp?No=Ref-00198), incorporated herein by reference) shall include the following information:

1. The name, address, and SPL number of seller;

2. The name, address, and SPL number of buyer; and

3. The selling price.

(k) A marine life tiered endorsement shall not be issued, transferred, or renewed until all license fees, surcharges, and any other outstanding fees, fines, or penalties owed to the Commission by either party to the transaction have been paid in full within the transfer period.

(l) Upon receipt of a marine life transferable dive endorsement (MLD), the transferee has 12 months from the date of purchase to produce trip tickets and document income from the sale of marine life as defined in Rule 68B-42.001, F.A.C., in order to renew the endorsement. Once renewed, this endorsement will be valid for three years from the date of documentation used to qualify, but must still be renewed annually as required by subsection (10).

(17) In the event of the death or permanent disability of a person holding a marine life tiered endorsement, the endorsement may be transferred by the license holder or the executor of the estate to a member of his or her immediate family within 12 months of the date of death or disability only after the recipient pays any outstanding fees, fines, or penalties to the Commission in full.

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History–New 2-1-05, Amended 7-1-09, 5-1-11, 10-31-11.