Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68E - Marine Resources › Chapter 68E-5 - REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE MARINE FISHERIES INFORMATION SYSTEM › Section 68E-5.001 - Introduction, Scope, and Definitions

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1)
				The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is charged with the promulgation
				of rules to conserve and manage the marine fishery resources of Florida. These
				rules must be consistent with certain standards as prescribed by law to
				include: concern for the continued health and abundance of the resource;
				measures based upon the best information available, including biological,
				sociological, economic, and other information deemed relevant; reasonable means
				and quantities for annual harvest, consistent with maximum practical
				sustainable stock abundance on a continuing basis; management of stocks of fish
				as a biological unit as possible and practical; proper quality control of
				marine resources that enter commerce; management decisions that are fair and
				equitable to all the people of the state. The Fish and Wildlife Conservation
				Commission, through its Divisions of Marine Fisheries and Law Enforcement must
				maintain a marine fisheries information system that can provide the data
				necessary to apply the above standards to management decisions. As part of
				these responsibilities, the Commission requires that licensed wholesale dealers
				maintain records of each purchase of saltwater fish, saltwater products, bait,
				or marine life from a producer in such detail as required by implementation and
				administration of this chapter. This chapter sets out the requirements for
				record keeping, the detail of such records, forms to be used, submission of
				records to the Commission, penalties for noncompliance, and other
				requirements.
(2) For the purpose
				of this chapter, the definitions contained in Sections
				379.101,
				379.362, F.S., and the following
				definitions apply:
(a) "Marine Life" - any
				saltwater fish, saltwater products, or shellfish collected for the purpose of
				supplying live specimens for public, educational, or hobby aquaria or preserved
				specimens for scientific or educational institutions.
(b) "Bait" - any saltwater fish, saltwater
				products, or shellfish used as a lure, attractant, or enticement for the
				purpose of catching other fish or shellfish.
(c) "Person" - includes individuals,
				children, firms, associations, joint ventures, partnerships, estates, trusts,
				business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or
				combinations.
(d) "Producer" - any
				person who catches and lands saltwater fish, saltwater products, bait, or
				marine life from any waters of the State of Florida, contiguous saltwaters of
				the Exclusive Economic Zone, or international waters.
(e) "Production" - catching or otherwise
				obtaining saltwater fish, saltwater products, bait, or marine life from the
				waters of the State of Florida, contiguous waters of the Exclusive Economic
				Zone, or international waters, for the purpose of sale, barter, exchange or
				distribution.
(f) "Marine Fisheries
				Trip Ticket" - The multiple-part form (FWC 33-610, which is hereby incorporated
				by reference) provided by the Commission to wholesale dealers and others who
				are required to report the purchase or production of saltwater fish, saltwater
				products, bait, or marine life pursuant to Section
				379.362, F.S., and this
				chapter.