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FWC sets Feb. 6-7 meeting in Panama City Beach January 15, 2008
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet Feb. 6-7 at the Bay Point Marriott Resort in Panama City Beach. The meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. both days. Commissioners will consider final rule changes for management of wildlife and regulations on wildlife management areas during the Feb. 6 (Wednesday) session. Proposals include changing the definition of nuisance wildlife as that which causes or is about to cause property damage. Wild hogs will be defined as free-roaming hogs that legally cannot be claimed as domestic hogs in private ownership. Commissioners will consider expanding the area open for Canada goose season to include the entire state and allowing falconers to take light geese and Canada geese statewide. The proposed rule also includes an increase in the number of days for the spring turkey season in Holmes County from three to 16. Also, new regulations for hunting areas and shooting ranges will be up for consideration, including a recreational use permit fee increase for Grove Park, Ft. McCoy, Relay and Twelve Mile Swamp wildlife management areas. Prohibition or possession of open containers of intoxicating beverages on shooting ranges is another proposed rule change. Several changes in rules for freshwater fishing and fish management areas will also be on the agenda. A proposed new rule would change the black bass length regulation on Lake Okeechobee to an 18-inch or greater minimum length limit, establish a 10-inch or greater minimum length limit for harvest of black crappie on Lake Okeechobee and would include the boundary definition for Lake Okeechobee. In addition, Commissioners will consider a change in black bass regulations on Lake Trafford to include a bag limit of five fish, all of which must be 18 inches or greater in total length and only one fish may be 22 inches or greater in total length. Presentations and discussions on the FWC Quota Hunt Program and the South Florida Ecosystem Restoration and consideration for approval of the Florida Deer Strategic Plan and the Waterfowl Strategic Plan will also take place. In the area of land acquisitions, the Commission will consider an exchange between the City of Lakeland and the FWC of certain lands within the Tenoroc Fish Management Area. Marine fisheries issues will be on the Feb. 7 (Thursday) agenda, including a final public hearing on proposed rule amendments for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico state waters intended to be consistent with pending rules for Gulf federal waters. These measures would reduce the daily recreational and commercial bag limit for Gulf red snapper from four fish to two fish per person in state waters, establish a zero daily bag limit for captains and crews of Gulf for-hire vessels, and change the recreational red snapper fishing season in the Gulf from April 15 through Oct. 31 to June 1 through Sept. 30. Proposed rules also would reduce the minimum size of commercially harvested red snapper in the Gulf and the minimum size of imported red snapper from 15 to 13 inches total length, clarify commercial Gulf reef fish licensing requirements, allow only non-stainless steel circle hooks to be used to harvest any reef fish when natural baits are used in the Gulf and require a venting tool and a de-hooking device to be present onboard vessels harvesting any reef fish in the Gulf. If these proposed rules are approved by the Commission, they will be contingent upon final approval of pending federal Gulf red snapper regulations. The Commission also will take final action on a proposed rule that would modify the legal dimensions for black sea bass traps to allow more flexibility in the size and shape of these traps. In other marine fisheries action, Commissioners will review and discuss options for expanding commercial mullet fishing opportunities, management alternatives for south Atlantic gag grouper and vermilion snapper and Gulf gag and red grouper. They also will review and discuss federal fishery disaster relief programs, including a request by the commercial shark industry for federal disaster relief, and other federal fisheries management issues. The Bay Point Marriott Resort is at 4200 Marriott Drive, and FWC meetings are open to the public. Anyone requiring a special accommodation to take part in the meeting due to a disability can arrange assistance by calling 850-488-6411 at least five days in advance. Hearing- or speech-impaired persons can arrange assistance by calling 850-488-9542. The complete agenda is available at MyFWC.com/commission/2008/Feb08/index.html. |
Our mission: Managing fish and wildlife resources for their long-term well-being and the benefit of people.
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