Florida Administrative Code › 68 - FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION › 68B - Marine Fisheries › Chapter 68B-42 - MARINE LIFE › Section 68B-42.002 - Definitions

Current through Reg. 50, No. 138; July 16, 2024
As used in this rule chapter:
(1) "Barrier net, " also known as a "fence
				net, " means a seine used beneath the surface of the water by a diver to
				enclose and concentrate tropical fish and which may be made of either nylon or
				monofilament.
(2) "Colony" means a
				continuous group of octocoral polyps forming a single unit.
(3) "Commercial quantities" means any amount
				of marine life harvested or possessed for the purposes of sale or with intent
				to sell or in excess of the recreational bag limit.
(4) "Diving" means swimming at or below the
				surface of the water.
(5) "Drop
				net" means a small, usually circular, net with weights attached along the outer
				edge and a single float in the center, used by a diver to enclose and
				concentrate tropical fish.
(6)
				"Fork Length" means the length of a fish as measured from the most forward
				point of the head to the rear center edge of the tail.
(7) "Hand held net" means a landing or dip
				net as defined in subsection
				68B-4.002(4),
				F.A.C., except that a portion of the bag may be constructed of clear plastic
				material, rather than mesh.
(8)
				"Harvest" means the catching or taking of a marine organism by any means
				whatsoever, followed by a reduction of such organism to possession. Marine
				organisms that are caught but immediately returned to the water free, alive,
				and unharmed are not harvested. In addition, temporary possession of a marine
				animal for the purpose of measuring it to determine compliance with the minimum
				or maximum size requirements of this chapter shall not constitute harvesting
				such animal, provided that it is measured immediately after taking, and
				immediately returned to the water free, alive, and unharmed if undersize or
				oversize.
(9) "Harvest for
				commercial purposes" means the taking or harvesting of any tropical ornamental
				marine life species or tropical ornamental marine plant for purposes of sale or
				with intent to sell. The harvest of tropical ornamental marine life species or
				tropical ornamental marine plants in excess of the bag limit shall constitute a
				violation of this rule.
(10)
				"Immediate family" refers to a license holder's mother, father, sister,
				brother, spouse, son, daughter, step-father, step-mother, step-son,
				step-daughter, half-sister, half-brother, son-in-law, or
				daughter-in-law.
(11) "Land, " when
				used in connection with the harvest of marine organisms, means the physical act
				of bringing the harvested organism ashore.
(12) "Live rock" means rock with living
				marine organisms attached to it and includes any formations created by tube
				worms of the family Sabellariidae.
(13) "Octocoral" means any erect,
				nonencrusting species of the Subclass Octocorallia, except the species
Gorgonia flabellum
and
Gorgonia
				ventalina.
(14) "Power
				tool" means anything other than a hand-powered tool. Prohibited devices include
				but are not limited to electric, gas, hydraulic or air-powered tools.
(15) "Slurp gun" means a self-contained,
				handheld device that captures tropical fish by rapidly drawing seawater
				containing such fish into a closed chamber.
(16) "Total length" means the straight line
				distance from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed, to the
				farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish
				is lying on its side.
(17) "Trawl"
				means a net in the form of an elongated bag with the mouth kept open by various
				means and fished by being towed or dragged on the bottom. "Roller frame trawl"
				means a trawl with all of the following features and specifications:
(a) A rectangular rigid frame to keep the
				mouth of the trawl open while being towed.
(b) The lower horizontal beam of the frame
				has rollers to allow the trawl to roll over the bottom and any obstructions
				while being towed.
(c) The trawl
				opening is shielded by a grid of vertical bars spaced no more than 3 inches
				apart.
(d) The trawl is towed by
				attaching a line or towing cable to a tongue located above or at the center of
				the upper horizontal beam of the frame.
(e) The trawl has no doors attached to keep
				the mouth of the trawl open.