Many of Florida's important fisheries occur in both state and
federal waters and are managed by both the FWC and federal
agencies.
Eight regional fishery management councils were established by
the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and
Management Act to advise the NOAA
Fisheries Service on federal fishery management issues.
The South Atlantic
Fishery Management Council manages fisheries in
federal waters (beyond three miles) off the Florida Atlantic coast
and the Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council manages fisheries in
federal waters (beyond nine miles) off the Gulf coast. These
Councils develop fishery management plans and recommend regulations
to the U.S. Department of Commerce based scientific data, public
comment and stock assessments conducted by the SouthEast Data
Assessment and Review (SEDAR) program as required by the
Magnuson Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
NOAA Fisheries
Service reviews Council recommendations and decides
whether or not to approve the regulations as an agency of the
Department of Commerce.
The FWC manages fisheries in state waters, but has a strong
interest in how fish are managed in federal waters and how that
management affects Floridians. FWC staff serves on both the
South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Councils and
coordinates with the Councils to improve fisheries
management. The Councils and the FWC often enact consistent
regulations in state and federal waters, but sometimes use
different approaches to meet management goals. The FWC also
partners with the Councils and NOAA Fisheries to collect fishery
data, conduct research, assess fish stocks and enforce
regulations.
To learn more about federal fisheries management, visit the
following links.
Federal Fisheries Information
NOAA
Fisheries Service -- The federal agency, a division of
the Department of Commerce, responsible for the stewardship of the
nation's living marine resources and their habitat. NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional
Office is responsible for fisheries management in federal
waters off Florida's Atlantic and Gulf coasts.
Fisheries Management Councils
Gulf of
Mexico Fishery Management Council - Manages fisheries
with the federal waters of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama
and Florida. Gulf federal regulations are available here.
The South
Atlantic Fishery Management Council - Manages fisheries
within the federal waters of North Carolina, South Carolina,
Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. South Atlantic federal
regulations are available on the SAFMC website.
Marine Fisheries Commissions
Marine Fisheries Commissions were established to determine
priorities for fishery management in coastal waters and recommend
management measures that will benefit fisheries.
Gulf
States Marine Fisheries Commission - Member states
include Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida.
Atlantic States
Marine Fisheries Commission - Member states include
Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New
York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.
For more information:
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