15990952, 68B-13.008 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 15990952

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

STONE CRABS

Overview

RULE:

68B-13.008

Gear, Trap Construction, Commercial Trap Marking Requirements, Trap Working Regulations, Trap Transfer

PURPOSE:

There is substantial overlap between the lobster and stone crab fisheries in south Florida, with most of the lobster trap fishermen in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties also participating in the stone crab trap fishery.  In addition, both fisheries rely heavily on the use of traps and operate under trap reduction programs established by Florida Statutes and Commission regulations that limit the total number of traps that can be used.  These trap reduction programs are designed to decrease the number of traps in the water over time, increase catch per trap, and decrease user conflicts while maintaining the overall catch and income for fishery participants.  

Participants in the stone crab fishery have begun building and deploying stone crab traps of a different design that were not previously used in south Florida, and using them to target lobster.  This practice allows fishers to target lobster in stone crab traps without having to purchase more costly lobster trap certificates, shifts lobster catch to stone crab traps, and circumvents the lobster trap reduction program.  The purpose of this rule amendment is to modify the allowable dimensions for stone crab traps and trap throats in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties.  The proposed changes would prevent the use of stone crab traps for targeting lobster.

The effect of this change would be to amend 68B-13.008, F.A.C. (Gear, Trap Construction, Commercial Trap Marking Requirements, Trap Working Regulations, Trap Transfer), to make a series of changes to the allowable stone crab trap specifications for Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties.  These changes would allow only rectangular or rounded rectangular throats (entrances) in stone crab traps and limit the size of those throats to be no larger than 5 1/2 in. by 3 1/8 in.  In addition, the overall volume of the stone crab trap in these counties would not be allowed to exceed 16” x 20” x 12” or 3,840 cubic inches.  

These proposed changes would bring the gear regulations for these three counties in line with the way the stone crab fishery has traditionally operated in the region and prevent stone crab fishers from gaining an unfair advantage over other participants in the lobster trap fishery.  The changes would not affect the traditional stone crab fishery because the stone crab trap size and throat design typically used in the region, which are effective at catching stone crabs, would continue to be allowable.

SUMMARY:

Rule 68B-13.008, F.A.C., would be amended to allow only rectangular or rounded rectangular throats in stone crab traps fished in Collier, Monroe, and Miami-Dade counties and limit the size of those throats to no larger than 5 1/2 in. by 3 1/8 in.  In addition, the overall dimensions of a stone crab trap fished in these counties would not be allowed to exceed 16” x 20” x 12” or 3,840 cubic inches.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

5/12/2015 Vol. 41/92

COMMENTS:

From 5/12/2015 To 6/2/2015 (21 Days)
The public comment period for this notice has already expired.

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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