Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68B - Marine Fisheries › Chapter 68B-14 - REEF FISH › Section 68B-14.006 - Other Prohibitions and Exception

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
(1) Possession of any fish in excess of any
				applicable bag limit or smaller than any minimum size limit established by this
				chapter by any person aboard a vessel fishing in state waters constitutes a
				violation of this chapter. Vessels for-hire that possess aboard the vessel a
				valid federal Gulf of Mexico Charter/Headboat Permit for Reef Fish pursuant to
				50 C.F.R. §622.20(b), while fishing for other species in or on state
				waters, may be in possession of red snapper that were legally harvested in
				adjacent EEZ waters during the federal season for recreational harvest by the
				federal for-hire component established by the National Marine Fisheries Service
				and published in the
Federal Register.
(2) No person shall possess, transport, buy,
				sell, exchange or offer to buy, sell or exchange any fish harvested in
				violation of this chapter.
(3) The
				prohibitions of this chapter apply as well to any and all persons operating a
				vessel in state waters, who shall be deemed to have violated any prohibition
				which has been violated by another person aboard such vessel.
(4) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement -
				Except as provided elsewhere in this rule, all fish harvested from Florida or
				adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters pursuant to the
				requirements of this chapter shall be landed in a whole condition. The
				possession, while in or on state waters, on any public or private fishing pier,
				on a bridge or catwalk attached to a bridge from which fishing is allowed, or
				on any jetty, of such fish that have been deheaded, sliced, divided, filleted,
				ground, skinned, scaled or deboned is prohibited. Mere evisceration or
				"gutting" of fish, or mere removal of gills from fish, before landing is not
				prohibited. Preparation of fish for immediate consumption on board the vessel
				from which the fish were caught is not prohibited.
(5) Landed in Whole Condition Exception -
				Recreational anglers that lawfully harvest species listed as South Atlantic
				Snapper-Grouper in Table 4 of Appendix A to 50 C.F.R. §622 (as of June 22,
				2016), in waters of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are exempt from the
				requirement to land such fish in whole condition under the following
				conditions:
(a) Skin must remain intact on the
				entire fillet of any fish carcass as specified in 50 C.F.R. §622.186 (as
				of January 27, 2016).
(b) A person
				or vessel that lawfully harvests fish in Bahamian waters and transits through
				Florida waters must comply with the bag and possession limits specified in 50
				C.F.R. §622.187 (as of January 27, 2016), and the seasons specified in 50
				C.F.R. §622.183-184 (as of January 27, 2016). Two fillets of fish,
				regardless of the length of each fillet, is equivalent to one fish.
(c) Valid Bahamian fishing and cruising
				permits are on board the vessel.
(d) Each person on the vessel has a valid
				government passport with current stamps and dates from the Commonwealth of the
				Bahamas.
(e) The vessel is in
				transit through state waters with fishing gear appropriately stowed. For the
				purpose of this rule, a vessel is in transit when it is on a direct and
				continuous course through state waters and no one aboard the vessel fishes in
				state waters. For the purpose of this rule, fishing gear appropriately stowed
				means that terminal gear (i.e., hook, leader, sinker, flasher, or bait) used
				with an automatic reel, bandit gear, buoy gear, handline, or rod and reel must
				be disconnected and stowed separately from such fishing gear. Sinkers must be
				disconnected from the down rigger and stowed separately.
(f) Fish harvested from Bahamian waters and
				transited to Florida pursuant to the requirements specified in this rule may
				not be sold or purchased.