Kristin Southerland entered this spotted seatrout in the Saltwater Reel Big Fish angler recognition program.
Submit your photos by emailing them to Saltwater@MyFWC.com.
Commission Meeting – Tallahassee
Marine Fisheries items discussed
Information:
The FWC Commission listened to public testimony on and discussed several marine
fisheries management items at the April 19-20 meeting in Tallahassee.
Regulation changes (final decisions on these topics were
made at this meeting):
- Red snapper: Approved a 78-day recreational
season in Gulf state waters for 2017.
- King
mackerel: Federal consistency item revising the management boundary between the
Gulf and the Atlantic king mackerel fisheries to be the Monroe/Miami-Dade
county line year-round, streamline commercial king mackerel fishery
regulations, and increase the Gulf and Monroe County recreational bag limit
from two to three fish per person. An effective date is to be determined.
- Warren
Bayou (Bay County): Harvest will be allowed in waters of Warren Bayou year-round,
repealing the current November through February closure.
- Greater
amberjack: Season closed April 22 through Dec. 31, 2017, in an effort to
prevent quota overages.
Draft regulation changes (this item will be brought back to the
July Commission meeting for final decision):
- Gag grouper: The Commission approved a draft rule
that, if approved at the July meeting, will open the recreational harvest of
gag grouper in state waters off Franklin, Wakulla, Jefferson and Taylor
counties from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31. This action would add additional dates
to the current April 1 through June 30 season for these four counties. Gulf
state waters outside of that area and all Gulf federal waters are open June 1
through Dec. 31. Staff
are gathering public input on this topic. For your comments to be considered at the July
10-11 Commission meeting, please submit input no later than May 31 at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Discussions:
- Federal fishery management updates
- Gray triggerfish: Update and discussion of possible
limited fall 2017 recreational season in Gulf state waters. Staff are gathering
public input on this topic. For your
comments to be considered at the July 10-11 Commission meeting, please
submit input no later than May 31 at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
- Lionfish Challenge 2017: Review and discussion
on a 2017 Lionfish Challenge removal and incentive program. This year’s challenge
will be statewide and will include commercial and recreational categories. Learn
more.
- 2017-18 Marine Fisheries Management Workplan
Links for more information:
Agenda
[MyFWC.com]
Cobia
Action: Public workshops for Gulf state
waters fishery coming in May
Information: Stakeholders from the Panhandle have been
expressing concerns about the status of the cobia fishery in their area. In
response to these concerns, staff is taking public comments on the fishery in
Gulf state waters. Public workshops will be coming in mid to late May. Check
back to the website in the next week for dates and locations. In the meantime,
you can provide comments on the Saltwater Comments webpage.
Links for more information:
Saltwater Comments [MyFWC.com]
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day
Action: Celebrate with us May 20 and 21
Information: Join the FWC in celebrating the third annual
Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (Saturday, May 20) by attending one of many
exciting events across the state, including a 2-day festival in Pensacola and several
statewide removal events.
Links for more information:
Lionfish
Removal and Awareness Day [MyFWC.com]
Lionfish Challenge
Action: Revamped program has commercial and
recreational categories
Information: Remove 25 or more lionfish (or sell at least 25
pounds commercially) between Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 20, 2017)
and Labor Day (Sept. 4, 2017) to enter the FWC’s Lionfish Challenge and be
eligible to win prizes. The recreational and commercial harvesters who check in
the most lionfish will be crowned Florida’s recreational Lionfish King or Queen
and Commercial Champion, respectively. Registration opens May 8.
Links for more information:
Lionfish
Challenge [MyFWC.com]
Red Snapper - Gulf
Action: State recreational season starts in
May
Information: Recreational season in state waters set to open Saturdays
and Sundays in May starting May 6; then open daily May 27 through July 9; and
open Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in September and October, and on Labor Day.
Links for more information:
Snapper
[MyFWC.com]
Greater Amberjack - Gulf
Action: State recreational season closed
Information: Season
closed April 22 through Dec. 31, 2017, in an effort to prevent quota overages.
Gulf federal season closed March 24 through Dec. 31, 2017.
Links for more information:
Amberjack
[MyFWC.com]
Grouper - Atlantic
Action: Recreational season opens May 1
Information: The recreational season for gag, black, red,
yellowmouth and yellowfin grouper; scamp; red hind; rock hind; coney; and
graysby; opens May 1 in Atlantic state and federal waters, including state
waters in Monroe County.
Links for more information:
Groupers
[MyFWC.com]
Snook - Gulf
Action: Season closes May 1
Information: Snook will close to harvest in Gulf state,
federal and inland waters, including all of Monroe County and Everglades
National Park, starting May 1.
Links for more information:
Snook
[MyFWC.com]
Stone Crab
Action: Season closes May 16
Information: Recreational and commercial stone crab
season closes May 16 in state waters.
Links for more information:
Stone
crab [MyFWC.com]
Gulf Reef Fish Survey
Attention Gulf Anglers
Information: Snapper and grouper season is right around the
corner. That means it is time to sign up for or renew your participation in the
Gulf Reef Fish Survey. Registration for this survey is required if you fish
from a private vessel for the following reef species in the Gulf: red and
vermilion snapper; gag, red, and black grouper; greater and lesser amberjack;
banded rudderfish; almaco jack; and gray triggerfish.
To renew online, visit GoOutdoorsFlorida.com.
If you are NOT a Gulf reef fish angler and don’t plan on
fishing for these reef species in the Gulf this year, please do not sign up or
renew your participation in the Gulf Reef Fish Survey. By only sampling anglers
who plan on fishing for those species, Florida is improving recreational data collection.
Questions? Contact us at Marine@MyFWC.com.
Just a reminder – renewing the Gulf Reef Fish Survey does
not renew your fishing license, so if needed, remember to renew that as well!
Thank you for helping Florida collect more timely and
accurate data on Gulf reef fish harvest.
Links for more information:
Gulf
Reef Fish Survey [MyFWC.com]
Flounder, Sheepshead, Tripletail
FWC needs your feedback
Information: FWC is collecting feedback on Florida’s
flounder, sheepshead and tripletail fisheries. If you fish for any of these
three species, we’d like to know more about:
- Whether you actively target them or if you catch
them while targeting other species
- How you fish for them (hook-and-line, etc.)
- If these fisheries are seasonal in your area
- When and where you target them
- Your thoughts on how these fisheries are doing,
compared to the past and/or compared to other fisheries
- Your thoughts on current management of these
species
Provide comments online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Link for more information:
Saltwater Comments [MyFWC.com]
Saltwater
Angler Recognition Programs
Catch a Florida Memory today
Information: Participation in any of these three programs
encourages ethical angling while earning rewards for your efforts.
- Saltwater Fish Life List: A list of 71 different
species. Can you catch them all?
- Saltwater Reel Big Fish: Recognition for
extraordinarily-sized catches.
- Saltwater Grand Slams: Earn rewards for catching
three different specified species in a 24-hour period.
Link for more information:
CatchaFloridaMemory.com
Lionfish Panhandle Pilot Program
Last chance to participate, program ends
May 19
Information: Remove 100 lionfish from Escambia, Santa Rosa,
Okaloosa, Walton, Bay, Gulf and Franklin counties before May 19, 2017, to get a
tag allowing for either an extra legal-sized red grouper or cobia over the bag
limit from state waters. In addition, the first 10 persons or groups that
harvest 500 or more lionfish during this one-year period will be given the
opportunity to name an artificial reef.
Link for more information:
Panhandle
Pilot Program [MyFWC.com]
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