FWC TO CLARIFY HOW TO MEASURE TOTAL LENGTH FOR SALTWATER FISH

March 18, 2005
CONTACT: Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is proposing rule amendments to clarify and standardize how fishermen should measure saltwater finfish.

FWC’s saltwater fishing rules express size limits of marine fish in either fork length or total length. Size limit measurements for fish expressed in fork length, such as Spanish mackerel, pompano, and cobia, are considered to be easily understood by fishermen and do not need further clarification beyond “from the tip of the snout to the rear center edge of the tail.”

However, FWC rules do not clearly specify how to measure fish that have total length size limits, such as red drum, spotted seatrout, and snook, subjecting the measurement of total length to interpretation by anglers and law enforcement officers.

In order to clarify how total length size limits should be measured, the FWC has proposed a series of rule amendments specifying that total length is determined by measuring the fish with its mouth closed and with its tail squeezed or compressed. The goal of the proposal is to provide a standard measurement procedure that is understood by resident and visiting anglers and that FWC officers can enforce uniformly.

The FWC will review and discuss draft rule amendments regarding total length measurement during its April 15 meeting in Tallahassee. More information about measurement of saltwater fish is available at MyFWC.com/marine/Fishing_Measurement.htm.

In addition, material that will be reviewed at the April FWC meeting, including staff recommendations, is available on-line at MyFWC.com/commission/2005/Apr/
lengthmeasurement_agendaDR_Apr05.pdf.

LS/hpc/CR

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