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May 2012 Commission Meeting

Date: May 2, 2012 Time: 8:30am
Date: May 3, 2012 Time: 8:30am
Location:

The Plantation Golf Resort & Spa<br />
9301 West Fort Island Trail <br />
Crystal River, FL 34429<br />
(800) 632-6262<br />
PlantationInn.com
This meeting is open to the public
May 2012 minutes

For information on lodging and restaurants within the area, you may call the Crystal River Chamber of Commerce at 352-795-3149, or visit their website at www.crystalriverfl.org.

8:30 a.m., Wednesday, May 2

  1. Meeting Opening
    1. Call to Order
    2. Invocation and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag
    3. Recognitions
      1. Recognition by Bill Kelly, Executive Director, Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association
      2. Florida Guides Association Annual Recognition Awards
        1. “Trained Eyes Coastwatcher” Officer of the Year Award
        2. Captain Phil Chapman Conservation Award
      3. Introduction of Commission employees (Employee Introductions)
  2. Administrative Matters
    1. Review and Approval of February 7-9, 2012, Commission Meeting Minutes (February 7-9 Commission Meeting Minutes - unofficial until approved by the Commission.)
    2. Approval of Meeting Agenda
    3. Approval of Consent Agenda
  3. Executive Director’s Report
  4. Items Requiring Action
    1. Fishery Management Council Updates
      1. Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council (GMFMC) – Staff will report on GMFMC actions from their April 16-20, 2012 meeting in Corpus Christi, TX, including: amberjack, red snapper, gray triggerfish, dealer reporting, mackerel, and vermilion snapper. (Gulf Council Report Presentation)
      2. South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (SAFMC) – Staff will report on SAFMC actions from their March 5-9, 2012 meeting in Savannah, GA, including: lobster, mackerel, cobia, Coral Habitat Areas of Particular Concern, powerheads, shrimp, tilefish, wreckfish, black sea bass, and golden tilefish. (South Atlantic Fishery Management Council Report Presentation)
    2. Final Rules (Gulf Red Snapper Presentation)
      1. Gulf of Mexico Red Snapper – Adoption of Federal Standard – Staff will present a review of Red snapper life history including age classes and population structure.  The proposed rule amendment would reduce the length of the recreational season for red snapper harvest in the Gulf of Mexico to achieve consistency between the Commission’s red snapper season and federal regulations in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. A consistent season in state waters would contribute to the federal rebuilding plan and reduce the likelihood of catch exceeding the federal recreational quota. The dates for the federal season are expected to be discussed at the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council meeting on April 16-20, 2012. The proposed rule would modify the Commission’s reef fish rule as follows:
      2. 68B-14.0038, Recreational Snapper Seasons – The proposed rule amendment would make the recreational red snapper fishing season in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico consistent with the federal season. The specific season dates will be added to this section when they are available. If the proposed rule is approved, Commission staff would file the rule as allowed by the noticing requirements of 120.54 (6) Florida Statutes, which provides a process for adoption of federal standards without further hearing
  5. Additional Items Requiring Action –Boating

    Anchoring and Mooring Pilot Program Ordinance – Staff will present a review of a proposed ordinance regulating the anchoring or mooring of non-live-aboard vessels outside the marked boundaries of public mooring fields. Approval from the Commission is necessary before the ordinance could be enforced.

    City of St. Petersburg (St. Petersburg Ordinance presentation) (St. Petersburg proposed ordinance) (FS 327 4105) (St. Petersburg memo to FWC)

  6. Staff Report (Wild Hog Presentation)

    Wild Hog Management in Florida – Staff will provide a background and review of current regulations and management strategies that provide for hunting opportunities and other tools to control wild hog populations in Florida.

  7. Public Comment Items not on the Agenda
  8. Commission Exchange
  9. Recess Wednesday’s Portion of the Meeting
     

    8:30 a.m., Thursday, May 3, Reconvene
     

  10. Meeting Opening
    1. Call To Order
    2. Recognitions
      1. Recognition of the “Louise Ireland Humphrey Award” recipient
      2. Youth Hunting Program Landowner of the Year Award
  11. Items Requiring Action

    68C-22.028 - Flagler County Manatee Protection Rule – The proposed rule would establish new state zones that limit allowable motorboat speeds in portions of the county; remove the existing zones in Flagler County that are a part of the Volusia County rule (68C-22.012); and, provide a reference to the location of maps illustrating the zones. (Flagler County Manatee Rule) (Statement of Estimated Regulatory Costs)

  12. Staff Reports
    1. Central Everglades Planning Project Update (CEPP 2012 Report presentation)
    2. Legislative Report (Post Session Report)
    3. Update on the Florida Youth Conservation Center Network (FYCCN Update presentation)
  13. Public Comment on Items Not on the Agenda
  14. Commission Exchange
  15. Commission Administrative Matters
    1. Discuss and approve proposed 2013 Commission meeting dates and locations. (Revised 2013 Meeting Dates and Locations)
    2. The next regular Commission meeting is scheduled on June 27-28, 2012, West Palm Beach, commencing at 8:30 a.m. each day.
  16. Adjournment

Consent Agenda

  1. Roundscale Spearfish (Final Rule) – The rule amendment would remove recreationally caught roundscale spearfish from the list of prohibited billfish and create a minimum size limit. This action would also add recreationally caught roundscale spearfish to the state’s billfish possession limit; and would include the possession limit exceptions for taxidermists mounting the fish for the harvester and for wholesale and retail seafood businesses and restaurants for the limited purpose of smoking the fish for the harvester. These changes make Florida’s rules for roundscale spearfish compatible with federal Highly Migratory Species rules. The rule sections that would be modified are listed below.
    1. 68B-33.003 Marlin and Sailfish Possession Limits; Prohibition of Harvest for Spearfish; Prohibition of Sale; Exception; Gear Restrictions – The rule amendment would remove the roundscale spearfish from the prohibited list and add it to the marlin and sailfish one fish recreational bag and possession limit of one blue marlin, white marlin, or sailfish, either individually or in combination at any time. It would also be amended to include roundscales spearfish in the possession limit exceptions for taxidermists mounting the fish for the harvester and for wholesale and retail seafood businesses and restaurants for the limited purpose of smoking the fish for the harvester.
    2. 68B-33.004 Size Limits – The rule amendment would create a size limit for roundscale spearfish of 66 inches lower jaw fork length (LJFL). (Roundscale Spearfish Presentation)
  2. Recreational Bag Limits (Draft Rule) – Staff is proposing amendments to this rule because additional species have been included in 68B-14.0036 Recreational Bag Limits, but part 8 of this section has not been updated to reflect these additional species. Therefore, this amendment would update the rule language in 68B-14.0036(8) to include all reef fish species listed within this section, except Atlantic red porgy, to be allowed under the two-day bag limit for persons that are no longer within 100 yards of any state waters, docks, fishing piers, or other fishing sites and for persons fishing aboard a charter vessel or headboat on a trip that spans more than 24 hours if the vessel has a sleeping berth for each passenger aboard the vessel and each such passenger possess a receipt issued on behalf of the vessel that verifies the length of the trip. The rule section that would be modified is listed below. (Reef Fish Presentation)

    68B-14.0036 Recreational Bag Limits: Snapper, Grouper, Hogfish, Black Sea Bass, Red Porgy, Amberjacks, Exception, Wholesale/Retail Purchase Exemption – The proposed rule would modify the rule language in the Exception subsection to renumber the section to reflect the additional species that have been added to the section.

  3. 68E-18.003, F.A.C., Certificate Allocations and Fees (Draft Rule) – The proposed draft rule change would update the Commission’s Spiny Lobster Trap Certificate Program rule to match 379.3671 (2)(c)7., F.S., clarifying that any trap certificates for which the required fee was not paid for a period of two years would revert to the Commission and become ineligible for reissue. (Lobster Presentation)

    NOTE: Staff is requesting approval to notice these two draft rules and file as soon as possible. If the items are approved for both advertisement and filing, Commission staff will file the rules for adoption as allowed by s. 120.54(3) Florida Statutes with no additional public hearings.

  4. Draft Rules Relating to Hunting – Staff is requesting approval to file a Notice of Proposed Rule to amend the following rules:
    1. 68A-13.004 Open Season for Taking and Bag Limits for Non-Migratory Game and Issuance of Antlerless Deer Permits – Staff proposes to amend this rule to expand the gray squirrel season on private lands by about a month, opening the second Saturday in October and closing the first Sunday in March. The current season opens the second Saturday of November and closes 113 days thereafter.
    2. 68A-15.065 Specific Regulations for Wildlife Management Areas – Northeast Region – The proposed rule amendment would amend the rule so that there is no change to the current opening of gray squirrel season on Lake Monroe WMA and the opening of small game season on Marshall Swamp WMA.
    3. 68A-17.005 Specific Regulations for Wildlife and Environmental Areas – The proposed rule amendment would amend the rule so that there is no change to the current opening of gray squirrel or small game seasons on Apalachicola River and L. Kirk Edwards WEAs.