This month's Hot Sheet

Contact for more info:

850-487-0554 or marine@myfwc.com

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Hot Sheet - MAY 2013

(Valid through May 31, 2013)

Issues covered in this posting:

Commission Meeting, Several Species of Atlantic Grouper, Stone Crab, Season Updates, Events

Issue: APRIL COMMISSION MEETING

Action: Commission moves forward with several marine fisheries management

Information: Several marine fisheries management items were discussed at the April 17 FWC Commission meeting in Tallahassee.

The Commission set the recreational red snapper season for 2013 in Gulf state waters to June 1 through July 14.

At the request of the Collier County Board of Commissioners, the FWC Commission also voted to repeal rules that prohibit spearing or gigging with artificial light and spearing in state waters off the county.

The Commission also moved forward with several draft rules that will be brought back before the Commission at the June meeting in Lakeland for a final vote.

Draft rules included the proposed format standardization and reorganization for several marine fisheries rules in Florida Administrative Code 68B as well as the creation of a new General chapter that will include a series of definitions and general regulations that would be applied to all saltwater fishing, a proposal to eliminate the requirement for a recreational fishing license when targeting lionfish with certain gear and to have no recreational or commercial limit for harvesting lionfish, and a proposal to make tarpon and bonefish catch-and-release-only species.

The Commission directed staff to alter the tarpon and bonefish proposal to include a one tarpon tag per person, per year limit.

The Commission also directed staff to re-examine the definition of snagging in the tarpon fishery and redefine what gear can be used in Boca Grande Pass, an area that tarpon are commonly targeted. This issue will likely be brought before the Commission at the June meeting as a draft proposal.

Links for more information:

News Releases: April meeting [MyFWC.com]

April Commission meeting [MyFWC.com]

Issue: GROUPER

→Atlantic

Action: Several species of grouper open to recreational harvest May 1

Information: Several species of grouper will open to recreational harvest May 1 in Atlantic state waters including those off Monroe County.

Species include gag, red, black, yellowfin, yellowmouth, and tiger grouper; scamp; rock hind, red hind; coney; and grasby. This harvest season will remain open through Dec. 31, 2013. State waters in the Atlantic are from shore to three nautical miles out.

Recreational anglers targeting these species may not take more than three grouper per person per day. Within this three-fish limit, anglers may possess only one gag or black grouper (not both). The captain and crew of for-hire vessels are not allowed to keep any grouper.

Anglers targeting Atlantic grouper must have dehooking devices aboard their boats. Use of these types of devices helps increase the chance of survival for a fish that is caught and released.

Links for more information:

Atlantic Grouper Information [MyFWC.com]

Reef Fish Information [MyFWC.com]