Purse seine restriction temporarily lifted in Escambia, Santa Rosa counties
News Release
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Media contact: Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) has issued an executive order to temporarily
suspend a restriction on the use of purse seines for the commercial
harvest of baitfish in inshore waters of Escambia and Santa Rosa
counties. The FWC is taking this action to help relieve
possible economic hardships on the commercial fishing industry that
may occur from the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of
Mexico.
The order states that the restriction on the use of
purse seines landward of the COLREGS Demarcation Line (which is
used on nautical charts to denote inland waters) in Escambia and
Santa Rosa counties for the commercial harvest of baitfish is
removed. This order, which can be viewed online, takes effect
at 12:01 a.m. on May 7 and will expire at 12:01 a.m. on June 1,
unless it is repealed sooner or extended by subsequent order.
Fishermen who use purse seines to harvest baitfish
in the area affected by the order must comply with all FWC fishing
and gear regulations, which are available online at
MyFWC.com/Rules; click on "Fishing - Saltwater."
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