29805207, 68B-27.001 - Florida Administrative Rules, Law, Code, Register

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Florida Department of State and Division of Library and Information Services

Notice: 29805207

Notice of Development of Rulemaking

Department:

FISH AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION COMMISSION

Division:

Marine Fisheries

Chapter:

OYSTERS

Overview

RULE:

68B-27.001	Additional Applicable Regulations
68B-27.002	Definitions
68B-27.003	Size Limit; Size Limit Tolerances
68B-27.004	Bag and Vessel Limits; Harvest and Possession Limits
68B-27.0041	Apalachicola Bay Annual Harvest Levels; Derivation and Distribution of Apalachicola Bay Annual Harvest Levels
68B-27.005	Seasons; Open and Closed Periods
68B-27.006	Allowable Gear; Prohibited Gear; Harvest Methods
68B-27.007	Sale and Purchase Requirements
68B-27.008	Open and Closed Areas
68B-27.009	License Requirements
68B-27.011	Commercial Oyster Harvest Monitoring
68B-27.013	Definitions (Repealed)
68B-27.014	Statewide Bag Limits on Oyster Harvesting (Repealed)
68B-27.015	Oyster Size Limit
68B-27.016	Oyster Harvest Monitoring (Repealed)
68B-27.017	Apalachicola Bay Oyster Harvesting Restrictions (Repealed)
68B-27.0175	West Bay (Bay County) Oyster Harvesting Restrictions (Repealed)
68B-27.018	Statewide Harvesting Restrictions (Repealed)
68B-27.019	Seasons (Repealed)
68B-27.020	Applicability to Oysters on Leased Parcels (Repealed)

PURPOSE:

The purposes of this rulemaking are to update regulations for the harvest of wild oysters from Apalachicola Bay, as well as regulations for size tolerances and culling that apply statewide. The purposes of this rulemaking also include reorganizing the rules in the rule chapter to align with the marine fisheries rule cleanup procedure and clarifying existing language. The effects of this rulemaking would be to create a new management framework for wild oyster harvest from Apalachicola Bay, reduce tolerances for the harvest and possession of undersized oysters statewide, clarify culling requirements and the meaning of some rules, and reorganize the rule chapter.

SUBJECT:

The subject areas addressed in the rule development notice include definitions; size limit tolerances; bag and vessel limits; annual setting of open and closed areas and harvest limits; seasons and harvest days; harvest gear; licenses; reporting requirements; allowable landing locations; and other subjects encompassed by the above-cited rules.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY:

Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution.

LAW:

Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution.

PRINT PUBLISH DATE:

7/24/2025 Vol. 51/143

RELATED STATUTES
AND LAWS:

Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution., Art. IV, Sec. 9, Florida Constitution.

OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE:

Joint Administrative Procedures Committee
Florida Administrative Law Central Online Network (F.A.L.C.O.N.)

RELATED COURT CASES:

Division of Administrative Hearings

FEDERAL eRULEMAKING
WEB PORTAL:

Regulations.gov

HOW TO LINK TO
THIS NOTICE:

http://flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=68B-27.001&PDate=7/24/2025&Section=1

REFERENCE MATERIALS:

No reference(s).

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