30903441, 68B-14.009 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Notice: 30903441

Notice of Proposed Rule

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

REEF FISH

Overview

RULE:

68B-14.009

Reporting Requirement

PURPOSE:

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (Commission) is considering changes to state regulations that would require vessels for hire (i.e., charter, headboat, and saltwater fishing guide operations) that target or harvest certain reef fish in South Atlantic state and federal waters to report their intention to harvest or attempt to harvest the following species: red snapper, vermilion snapper, yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, hogfish, gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, lesser amberjack, banded rudderfish, or almaco jack. This proposed final rule would apply only to 2026, 2027, and 2028, coinciding with an Exempted Fishing Permit program in which the Commission would set recreational regulations for the South Atlantic red snapper fishery in both Atlantic state and federal waters off Florida.  Section 379.354(7)(e), Florida Statutes, requires that vessels for hire licensed by the Commission must maintain and report data as required by Commission rules.  The purpose of this rule amendment is to establish a mechanism for identifying which vessels for hire are targeting Atlantic red snapper and other select Atlantic reef fish.

The effect of this rule amendment will be the identification of vessels for hire targeting Atlantic red snapper and other select Atlantic reef fish in state and federal waters via the no-cost Atlantic For-Hire Reef Fish Registry. As a condition of the Commission’s Atlantic red snapper state management program, the Commission must provide NOAA Fisheries with a list of entities that are eligible to harvest red snapper in the pilot program.  To meet this condition, Commission staff will provide NOAA Fisheries with a list of vessels for hire that sign up for the Atlantic For-Hire Reef Fish Registry.

Anglers fishing for reef fish in the South Atlantic commonly catch red snapper when they are targeting other reef fish.  For this reason, this reporting requirement would be applied to vessels for hire that harvest or intend to harvest the reef fish listed above.  This will allow legal-sized red snapper that are caught incidentally on reef fish trips during red snapper season to be harvested.

SUMMARY:

The proposed final rule would require vessels for hire (i.e., charter, headboat, and saltwater fishing guide operations) that target or harvest certain reef fish in Atlantic state and federal waters to report their intention to harvest or attempt to harvest the following species: red snapper, vermilion snapper, yellowtail snapper, mutton snapper, hogfish, gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, gray triggerfish, greater amberjack, lesser amberjack, banded rudderfish, or almaco jack. This proposed final rule would apply only to 2026, 2027, and 2028.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

LAW:

Article IV, Section 9, Florida Constitution

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

5/15/2026 Vol. 52/95

COMMENTS:

From 5/15/2026 To 6/5/2026 (21 Days)

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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