FWC REVISES HUNTING AND FISHING RULES
February 2, 2006
Contacts: (inland issues) Henry Cabbage (850) 488-8843
(marine issues) Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC’s)
first meeting of 2006 convened under the new chairman, Rodney Barreto, and
vice chairman, David K. Meehan, Wednesday in Gainesville. It adjourned
Thursday after Commissioners approved numerous revisions to Florida’s
hunting and fishing rules.
One of the new rules created a crossbow-only hunting season
for private lands to run five days in the South and Central zones and seven
days in the Northwest Zone. It also allows hunters to use crossbows on
private lands during statewide muzzleloading gun seasons and the Northwest
Zone’s 11-day archery/muzzleloading gun season.
Other hunting-related new rules simplify the quota hunt
application process and accommodate non-hunting family members who accompany
hunters on wildlife management areas during quota hunts.
In addition, new rules broaden wild hog hunting
opportunities on numerous wildlife management areas and expand the annual
statewide alligator harvest season from five weeks to 10 weeks.
Commissioners also approved a new statewide snow goose
hunting season and moved the canvasback duck hunting season to the last 30
days of waterfowl hunting season.
In addition, they adopted new rules for various wildlife
management areas and established a definition for measuring total length of
freshwater fish.
Concerning nuisance wildlife trappers, Commissioners voted
to replace permit requirements with a trapper registration requirement and
allow airport workers to take wild turkeys from airport property when
aircraft safety is threatened.
Also, Commissioners passed revised freshwater fishing rules
for various waters, established a permit requirement for commercial harvest
of freshwater eels and voted to prohibit taking alligator gar without a
permit.
Regarding marine fisheries issues, the Commission approved a
rule to protect 13 species of sharks by adding them to a newly named
“prohibited species” list. This list currently protects nine species of
sharks, rays and sawfishes, and the FWC is adding the Atlantic angel shark,
bigeye sixgill shark, bigeye thresher shark, bignose shark, Caribbean reef
shark, dusky shark, Galapagos shark, longfin mako shark, narrowtooth shark,
night shark, sevengill shark, sixgill shark, and smalltail shark to the
list. This rule takes effect in March.
Commissioners also agreed with special fishing regulations
developed by the National Park Service for Dry Tortugas National Park,
including establishment of a 46-square nautical mile Research Natural Area
in the park where fishing, spearing and anchoring will be prohibited. The
park regulations also specify allowable fishing gear and other management
provisions where fishing is permitted in the park.
In other action, the Commission approved its annual work
plans for five FWC divisions and considered various federal marine fisheries
issues.
The FWC also approved resolutions, calling for federal
assistance for Florida’s commercial marine fisheries, which were devastated
by recent hurricanes, and calling for a stronger role in multi-state
fisheries councils that establish rules that affect Florida.
The next FWC meeting will be a special session to discuss
the agency’s financial plan Feb. 8 in Tallahassee. The next regular meeting
will take place in Tallahassee April 5-6.
Agenda Items – FWC Meeting
Feb. 1-2, 2006, Gainesville
Wednesday
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Establishing a definition for a crossbow seasons, revising
the definition of muzzleloading gun season and establishing a definition
for measuring total length of freshwater fish. |
 |
Prohibiting use of firearms during crossbow season. |
 |
Establishing crossbow season and harvest restrictions and
allowing crossbows on private lands during statewide muzzleloader seasons
and the Northwest Zone’s archery/muzzleloader season. |
 |
Replacing the current permit requirement for nuisance
wildlife trappers with a registration requirement and allowing airport
personnel to take wild turkeys on airport property when aircraft safety is
threatened. |
 |
Allowing snow geese to be taken statewide and moving the
canvasback season to the last 30 days of waterfowl hunting season. |
 |
Allowing possession of dogs under restraint on public
small-game areas. |
 |
Modifying the quota hunt permit process. |
 |
Allowing one person younger than 16 years to accompany an
adult quota permit holder and participate on wildlife management areas (WMAs)
and wildlife and environmental areas (WEAs) where no exemptions are
allowed, provided the bag limit is shared and hunters meet other
requirements. |
 |
Exempting the spouse and dependent children of WMA permit
holders from daily use fees on FWC-managed lands. |
 |
Allowing persons with concealed weapon or firearm licenses
to possess concealed handguns throughout the year on WMAs unless otherwise
prohibited. |
 |
Exempting the spouse and dependent children of WMA holders
from daily use fees when participating in activities other than hunting on
certain WMAs and clarifying that dogs under restraint are legal unless
specifically prohibited. |
 |
Allowing persons with concealed weapon or firearm licenses
to possess concealed handguns throughout the year on WEAs unless otherwise
prohibited. |
 |
Removing the game status of wild hogs on
Walk-in-the-Water, Croom, Kicco, Citrus, Cypress Creek, Devil’s Hammock,
Mallory Swamp, Aucilla, Moore’s Pasture, Jumper Creek and Richloam Baird
Unit WMAs, and adding the game status of wild hogs to Spirit of the Wild
and Dinner Island Ranch WMAs and Dupuis WEA, and clarifying that public
small-game hunting areas may be established for special hog hunts. |
 |
Making technical corrections and clarifications and making
other changes to specific area regulations for WMAs and WEAs. |
 |
Streamlining qualifications, liability and other
provisions for nuisance alligator trappers. |
 |
Eliminating unnecessary provisions regarding alligator egg
and hatchling collections. |
 |
Eliminating unnecessary provisions regarding alligator
management programs on private lands. |
 |
Eliminating unnecessary provisions regarding statewide
alligator trapping, permitting, taking and sale and modifying other
provisions, including increasing the harvest season from five to 10 weeks. |
 |
Broadening the prohibition against feeding or enticement
of alligators to include other crocodilians and eliminating a provision
that allows county or municipal animal control personnel to use bait when
relocating alligators or crocodiles. |
 |
Eliminating outdated specific references regarding where
forms must be submitted concerning taking, possession and sale of
reptiles. |
 |
Eliminating outdated provisions and specific references
regarding where forms must be submitted concerning operation of alligator
farms. |
 |
Eliminating outdated provisions and specific references
concerning where forms are obtained and submitted concerning processing of
alligators and sale of alligator meat and parts. |
 |
Deleting inaccurate statutory references regarding
licensing requirements for taking furbearers and purchasing furbearer
skins. |
 |
Changing the largemouth bass regulation on Karick Lake
from catch-and-release to a 12-inch minimum length. |
 |
Authorizing use of cast nets to take nongame fish in
Indian River County and clarifying when cast nets may be used to take
minnows of nongame fish except catfish. |
 |
Changing the 14-inch minimum length and five-fish bag
limit on largemouth bass in lake Kerr to a 15- to 24-inch slot limit and
three-fish bag limit, of which only one may be 24 inches or greater in
total length, and prohibiting killing or possession of any black bass in
that portion of the St. Johns River Water Management Area (Farm 13,
including the Stick Marsh) within Brevard County. |
 |
Extending bag limits applicable to the St. Mary’s River to
include the river’s tributaries and changing the bag limit for white bass
and striped bass-white bass hybrids from 15 to two and imposing a minimum
length on white bass and striped bass-white bass hybrids of 22 inches in
total length. |
 |
Review and discussion of proposed regulations for Camp
Blanding WMA. |
 |
Review and discussion of a proposed draft rule regarding
the FWC’s due process procedures and rule-making standards. |
 |
Review and discussion of a proposed work plan for the
Division of Freshwater Fisheries Management. |
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Review and discussion of a proposed work plan for the
Division of Hunting and Game Management. |
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Review and discussion of a proposed work plan for the
Division of Habitat and Species Conservation. |
 |
Staff reports concerning registration of lands used for
deer-dog hunting, legislative matters and the role of the International
Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies. |