FWC REVISES HUNTING AND FISHING

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

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.
Review and discussion of a proposed work plan for the Division of Hunting and Game Management.
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.

Thursday

Allowing for boaters in the Suwannee and Santa Fe rivers to be regulated at idle speed, no wake when specific Suwannee River Water Management gauges determine the river to be at flood stage.
Prohibiting harvest, landing and sale of 13 species of sharks.
Final review and discussion of special regulations for the Dry Tortugas National Park.
Review and discussion of proposed changes to regulations for uniform waterway markers in Florida waters.
Review and discussion of proposed work plans for five FWC divisions.
Federal issues.
Commissioners’ areas of emphasis, including areas of emphasis for 2006, penalties and exotics.
Administrative matters.