|
FWC concludes Melbourne meeting
June 14, 2007
Contacts: (inland issues) Henry Cabbage (850) 528-1755
(marine issues) Lee Schlesinger (850) 487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) wrapped up its two-day meeting at Melbourne
after addressing a broad range of issues.
Commissioners approved a draft rule outlining
bonding requirements for exhibiting potentially dangerous
animals and venomous reptiles, a requirement passed by the
Legislature during the 2007 session. Subject to the governor’s
approval, final public hearings for the draft rule will be at
the September Commission meeting.
Commissioners also passed a new rule concerning
FWC-managed lands and approved members of a panel to evaluate a
petition to change the listing status of the peregrine falcon
during 2007-08.
Following an overview of the imperiled species
management plan process, Commissioners reviewed drafts of
management plans for manatees, gopher tortoises and Panama City
crayfish. Final consideration of the management plans for the
manatee and gopher tortoise will take place at the FWC’s
September meeting in St. Petersburg. Final consideration for the
Panama City crayfish will take place at the Commission’s
February meeting in Panama City.
Commissioners also approved an interim policy to
end entombment of gopher tortoises – requiring developers to
relocate them, rather than allow the animals to be buried in
their burrows amid development. The interim policy will remain
in effect until the FWC can launch the new permitting framework,
proposed in the draft gopher tortoise management plan.
FWC staff presented an array of proposed changes
to the Alligator Management Program. Commissioners directed the
staff to proceed with developing rules to change some of the
allowable methods of taking alligators and to step up efforts to
make Floridians more aware of ways to coexist with alligators
peacefully.
In addition, Commissioners approved
land-acquisition proposals including the Nature Conservancy’s
Davidson Ranch parcel as a mitigation park, the Nature
Conservancy’s donation of the Janet Butterfield Brooks Preserve
as a mitigation park and two donated Nature Conservancy parcels
as additions to Chinsegut Wildlife and Environmental Area.
Concerning marine issues, the FWC approved rule
amendments for snook that lower the daily recreational bag limit
from two fish to one on Florida’s Atlantic Coast and narrow the
current 27-34 inches total length snook slot limit to 28-32
inches in Atlantic waters and 28-33 inches in Gulf, Everglades
National Park and Monroe County waters.
Rule amendments also add the first half of
December and all of February to the closed harvest season in
Gulf, Everglades and Monroe County waters and allow snook
anglers statewide to carry more than one cast net aboard a
vessel. The new snook rules will be in place in time for the
reopening of snook season in September.
Commissioners also discussed proposed new rules
that would allow licensed trap fishers to designate people to
recover and possess their traps when the governor and FWC
declare an emergency. The proposed rules also would exempt
local, state and federal officials from having to get FWC
approval before removing traps, derelict traps and trap debris
from areas where trapping is prohibited.
In addition, the Commission proposed a rule
amendment that would allow recreational fishers to use fold-up
blue crab traps with square sides. A final public hearing on all
of these proposed rules will be scheduled for the September
Commission meeting.
In other marine fisheries action, Commissioners
directed staff to continue to work with stakeholders and develop
a full range of management options for the Atlantic and Gulf
coasts that work toward achieving a 40-percent escapement goal
for red drum.
The FWC also heard an update on issues and
proposed rules for spiny lobster and discussed federal fisheries
management issues.
The meeting agenda is available online at
MyFWC.com/commission/2007/Jun07/index.html.
The next FWC meeting is set for Sept. 12-14 in
St. Petersburg. |
