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HARD CLAMS, CH 46-17, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1985)

  • Minimum size limit: 7/8 inch, with 3% tolerance on undersized clams
  • Hours of taking: Daytime only (½ hour before sunrise to ½ hour after sunset)
  • Rakes, tongs, and baskets used for harvesting and sorting must have not less than 7/8 inch clear space between teeth, bars, dividers, and cull racks
  • Use of wire or net in baskets prohibited
  • Use of rakes and dredges in grass beds prohibited
  • Mechanical devices used for harvest may not be pulled under power
  • Clams must be shaded during transport and storage

HARD CLAMS, CH 46-17, FAC (Effective March 15, 1987)

  • Minimum size limit: Increased to 1-inch thickness across the hinge
  • Gear restrictions: Culling devices used must sort out clams smaller than 1 inch

HARD CLAMS, CH 46-17, FAC (Effective Nov. 1, 1989)

Retains a wild harvest size limit of 1 inch with a 3% tolerance, and allows mariculture operations to sell hard clams at least 7/8 inch in thickness out-of-state; establishes the authority of the Marine Patrol to inspect trucks for undersized clams after they have left the packing house.

HARD CLAMS, CH 46-17, FAC (Effective April 11, 1994)

  • Requires that wild hard clams be sorted immediately after being taken
  • Prohibits the possession of more than one bushel of unsorted wild hard clams aboard a vessel on state waters at any time, and prohibits the possession of unsorted wild hard clams aboard vessels observed under power
  • Lowers the size limit of cultured hard clams to 5/8 inch in thickness across the hinge, provided that such clams are segregated from wild hard clams (possession of cultured hard clams smaller than 5/8 inch for purposes of grow-out is also allowed)
  • Prohibits the relaying of wild hard clams smaller than one inch in thickness across the hinge from closed areas to leased clam beds or upland aquaculture facilities
  • Allows the sorting of cultured hard clams to comply with size limit provisions at upland facilities of legal aquaculture operations, provided that the nearest Florida Marine Patrol office is notified at least 4 hours in advance, the sorting takes place in an area separated from any area where wild hard clams are being processed, cultured hard clams smaller than one inch in thickness across the hinge are kept separated from wild hard clams at all times, and cultured hard clams smaller than 5/8 inch in thickness across the hinge are either returned to the operator's lease or are kept segregated in the facility for legal sale
  • Prohibits the possession of both cultured and wild hard clams aboard any vessel in state waters at any time
  • Clarifies provisions regarding certain harvesting gear and cull racks
  • Establishes a daily bag limit of 5 gallons of unshucked hard clams per person or, if two or more persons are aboard, 10 gallons per vessel, for recreational fishermen.

HARD CLAMS, CH 68B-17, FAC (Effective Sept. 1, 2013)

Chapter reorganized and reformatted as part of phase one of the rule cleanup process.

HARD CLAMS, CH 68B-17.009, FAC  (Effective Nov. 26, 2014)

Create a no-cost Shellfish Harvest endorsement for commercial hard clam harvesters who have taken the appropriate training course offered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services within the last 12 months

HORSESHOE CRAB, CH 68B-46, FAC (Effective March 30, 2000)

Allows harvest of horseshoe crab only by hand and gig, establishes a daily bag and possession limit of 25 animals (except that persons who possess a saltwater products license with a marine life endorsement and commercial freshwater eel fishermen may harvest and possess up to 100 horseshoe crabs per day while in or on the salt waters of the state), and requires that all persons who harvest, possess, or sell horseshoe crabs possess a saltwater products license.

HORSESHOE CRAB, CH 68B-46, FAC (Effective July 9, 2002)

  • Establishes a Horseshoe Crab Biomedical Collecting Permit for temporary collection and possession of live horseshoe crabs for biomedical purposes
  • Requires permit holders to report landings and other related information to the FWC monthly and carefully maintain collected horseshoe crabs to ensure their safe return to the water
  • Exempts biomedical permit holders from the daily bag limit
  • Designates horseshoe crabs as a saltwater product, which requires mandatory reporting of commercial horseshoe crab landing

JELLYFISH, CH 46-51, FAC (Effective Aug. 1, 1996)

Allows the harvest of jellyfish (including all species of the genera Rophilema and Stomopholus) in state waters out to 1 mile from shore on the Atlantic coast and 3 miles from shore on the Gulf coast only with the following gear:

  • Cast nets with a radius no greater than 12½ feet
  • Beach or haul seines with a maximum mesh size no greater than 2 inches, and a maximum of 500 square feet of mesh area
  • Paired surface trawls with a maximum of 500 square feet of mesh area, a minimum mesh size in the wing portion of the trawl of no less than 3½ inches stretched mesh, and a minimum mesh size in the bag portion of the trawl no less than 1½ inches stretched mesh (these trawls are not allowed to tend the bottom)
  • No more than 2 wing nets, each with a maximum of 500 square feet of mesh area, a perimeter no greater than 40 feet per net, and a minimum mesh size of no less than 3½ inches stretched mesh
  • A single frame net, with a maximum of 500 square feet of mesh area, a perimeter no greater than 40 feet per net, and a minimum mesh size of no less than 3½ inches stretched mesh
  • No more than 2 hand dip nets, each with a maximum of 500 square feet of mesh area
  • Allows the harvest of jellyfish in state waters beyond 1 mile offshore on the Atlantic coast and 3 miles offshore on the Gulf coast with only the gear described above, and a paired surface trawl with a maximum mesh area of 3,000 square feet (no more than two nets with a combined total of 3,000 square feet may be used), a minimum mesh size in the wing portion of the trawl of no less than 3½ inches stretched mesh, and a minimum mesh size in the bag portion of the trawl no less than 1½ inches stretched mesh (these trawls are not allowed to tend the bottom)
  • Prohibits the harvest of any other species as an incidental bycatch while targeting jellyfish

JELLYFISH, CH 68B-51, FAC (Effective Sept. 1, 2013)

Chapter reorganized and reformatted as part of phase one of the rule cleanup process.

JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK, CH 46-5.002, FAC (Effective July 3, 1989)

Prohibits the harvest of numerous tropical reef fish species within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park and includes a minimum size limit of 8 inches for all other fishes taken from the Park (except sardines, herrings, anchovies, ballyhoo, jacks, mullet, and pinfish).

JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK, CH 46-5.002, FAC (Effective June 1, 1994)

  • Eliminates the special 2-day spiny lobster sport season in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
  • Prohibits the harvest of any lobster species of the Genera Panulirus or Scyllarides and the deployment of any lobster trap in Turtle Rocks, Basin Hill North, Basin Hill East, Basin Hill South, Higdon's Reef, Cannon Patch, Mosquito Bank North, Mosquito Bank Southeast, Three Sisters North, and Three Sisters South - all in Pennekamp Park, and from or within any patch reef in the Park

JOHN PENNEKAMP CORAL REEF STATE PARK, CH 68B-5.002, FAC (Effective July 27, 2010)
Allows lionfish of any size to be taken in the park and updates scientific names of organisms in this rule.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Dec. 20, 1984)

Bag limit: 2 fish per person per trip for all fishermen, both commercial and recreational, in state waters from the Alabama/Florida border south to Monroe/Collier counties border all year, and also in state waters around the southern tip of Florida (including the Keys) northward to the Volusia/Flagler counties border from Nov. 1 through March 31.

KING MACKEREL - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER85-8, FAC (Effective Dec. 4, 1985 through March 3, 1986)

Bag limit: 25 fish per vessel per day for fishermen who possess a federal permit for the commercial harvest by hook and line of the Gulf of Mexico Group of king mackerel in state waters off Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties from Fowey Light to Jupiter Inlet from Nov. 1 through March 31.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Nov. 13, 1986)

Makes emergency bag limit (described above) permanent. Special bag limit for commercial hook and line fishermen applies until commercial harvest is closed in adjacent federal waters each fishing season (July 1 - June 30). Harvest for all other fishermen (under 2 fish limit) closes when all harvest in federal waters is closed each season. Bycatch allowance of 10% by weight of all species in possession of harvester is continued.

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-30, FAC (Effective March 15, 1987)

  • Bag limit: 2 fish per person per trip for all fishermen, commercial and recreational, in all state waters in the Atlantic Ocean and in the Gulf of Mexico south of the Monroe/Collier counties border between April 1 and October 31 each year, and in the Atlantic Ocean north of the Volusia/Flagler counties border between November 1 and March 31 each year; when all harvest is closed in federal waters during the established fishing season (April 1 - March 31), the season is closed for all fishermen in state waters as well
  • Special exception: Commercial hook and line fishermen who possess federal and state permits to harvest king mackerel in the Atlantic fishery are allowed a daily bag limit of 50 fish per boat for as long as adjacent federal waters remain open each fishing season; a king mackerel bycatch allowance not to exceed 10% by weight of all species in possession of the harvester is provided

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Nov. 1, 1988)

  • Designates king mackerel as a "restricted species"
  • The region where the special commercial bag limit applies is expanded to include Monroe County
  • Requires a restricted species endorsement on a saltwater products license in addition to a federal commercial permit for those harvesting under the special bag limit; bag limit for all other harvesters is amended to provide for a reduction to 1 fish per person per day when federal waters are closed to all harvest of king mackerel
  • "Bycatch allowance" is amended to only allow bycatch of king mackerel in the Spanish mackerel fishery and to limit that bycatch to 1% or 250 lbs., whichever is less

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-30, FAC (Effective Nov. 1, 1988)

  • Designates king mackerel as a "restricted species"
  • Requires a restricted species endorsement on a saltwater products license in addition to a federal commercial permit for those harvesting under the special bag limit - the bag limit for all other harvesters is changed from 2 fish per person per trip to 2 fish per person per day
  • "Bycatch allowance" is amended to only allow bycatch of king mackerel in the Spanish mackerel fishery and to limit that bycatch to 1% or 250 lbs., whichever is less
  • Automatic closure of state waters upon closure of all harvest of king mackerel in federal waters is deleted

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Oct. 1, 1990)

  • Divides this fishery into two regions, allocates half the commercial quota to Dade County northward and half to all other counties in the fishery, and sets the following daily commercial vessel and landing limits for each region annually: 1,000 pounds from July 1 through December 31, then 15,000 pounds until regional harvest is projected to reach 75% of the quota, then 300 pounds until regional harvest is projected to reach the total quota, then no harvest allowed until the following July 1
  • Deletes special 25 fish per vessel daily bag limit for Monroe, Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties
  • Allows the use of hook and line gear only in this fishery
  • Establishes a more efficient mechanism to allow the MFC to annually adjust commercial harvest limits and recreational bag and possession limits

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Dec. 4, 1991)

  • Provides that if the total regional commercial harvest is projected to reach 75% of the quota prior to December 31, a daily limit of 300 pounds per vessel shall apply until the total quota is projected to be reached
  • Provides that either region that reaches its full regional quota will close regardless of the date in order to prevent one region from exceeding its 50% share of the total Gulf-Atlantic commercial quota

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Nov. 29, 1993)

  • Establishes a daily vessel limit of 50 fish until half the regional subquota is reached, and then 25 fish until the full regional subquota is reached, from Volusia County to Dade County
  • Allows unlimited harvest until 75% of the regional subquota is reached, and then imposes a daily vessel limit of 50 fish until the full regional subquota is reached, from Monroe County to Escambia County
  • Establishes a minimum size limit of 20 inches fork length for all harvest of king mackerel

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic & Atlantic Fisheries), CH 46-12 & 46-30, FAC (Effective Nov. 29, 1993)

Establishes a minimum size limit of 20 inches fork length for all harvest of king mackerel.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1996)

Establishes a 125-fish commercial daily vessel limit for king mackerel harvested on the state's Gulf coast - this commercial daily vessel limit will be reduced to 50 fish when the same limit is established in adjacent federal waters, and to zero fish when federal waters close to the commercial harvest of king mackerel.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective June 3, 1996)

Requires king mackerel to be landed with heads and fins attached.

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-30, FAC (Effective July 15, 1996)

Requires king mackerel to be landed with heads and fins attached.

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-30, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1997)

Replaces the 50 fish daily commercial vessel limit for the king mackerel Atlantic fishery with the following daily commercial trip limits:

  • 3,500 pounds in waters north of the Flagler/Volusia counties line at all times, and in waters off Volusia County from April 1 through Oct. 31
  • 500 pounds in waters between the Volusia/Brevard and Dade/Monroe county lines from April 1 through Oct. 31
  • 1,250 pounds in waters off Monroe County from April 1 through Oct. 31

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1997)

Establishes a 750 pounds commercial trip limit on Florida's east coast unless 75% of the subquota is reached by February 15 (at which time a 500 pounds limit will apply for the remainder of the season), and changes the Florida west coast trip limits from 125 fish to 1,250 pounds, and 50 fish to 500 pounds.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1998)

Establishes a daily 50 fish per vessel trip limit for Gulf group commercial king mackerel fishermen in the Eastern Region from November 1 until the quota is reached, or until March 31, each year.

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-30, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1998)

Establishes a daily 50 fish per vessel trip limit for Atlantic group commercial king mackerel fishermen in state waters from Brevard through Dade counties from April 1 through Oct. 31 each year.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic & Atlantic Fisheries), CH 68B-12 & 68B-30, FAC (Effective Oct. 22, 1999)

Increases the minimum size limit for king mackerel from 20 to 24 inches fork length beginning Jan.1, 2000.

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), CH 68B-30, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 2001)

Increases the commercial vessel daily limit from 50 to 75 fish for king mackerel harvested between Apr. 1 through Oct. 31 each year from Brevard through Dade counties.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 68B-12.0046, FAC (Effective April 1, 2012)

Allows the landing of commercially harvested king mackerel caught in state and federal waters open to harvest off of Monroe County to be landed in Collier County from April 1 through July 1. Harvesters must transit through Collier County waters without stopping and must hold a federal commercial king mackerel permit.

KING MACKEREL (Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), 68B-12.0046, FAC (Effective Oct. 12, 2015)

  • Sets commercial vessel limits equal to new vessel limits in adjacent federal waters in Eastern and Western zones
  • Remove language referring to specific fishing season dates
  • Clarify language that closes state waters when adjacent federal waters are closed
  • Establish a transit provision to allow transport of legally-harvested fish through all closed zones

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), 68B-30, FAC (Effective Oct. 12, 2015)

  • Establish a transit provision to allow transport of legally-harvested fish through all closed zones
  • Remove language referring to specific fishing season dates
  • Clarify language that closes state waters when adjacent federal waters are closed

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic and Gulf-Atlantic Fishery), CH 46-12 & CH 46-30, FAC (Effective May 11, 2017)

  • Redefines the Gulf-Atlantic Fishery boundary line as all waters of the Gulf and Atlantic south of the Miami-Dade county line
  • Redefines the Atlantic Fishery boundary line as all waters of the Atlantic north of the Miami-Dade county line
  • Increases the bag limit from 2 to 3 fish in the Gulf-Atlantic Fishery
  • Establishes that persons harvesting king mackerel for commercial purposes from the Atlantic and Gulf-Atlantic fishery shall be subject to commercial vessel limits in adjacent federal waters
  • Creates an allowance for limited retention and sale of king mackerel caught as bycatch in federal Atlantic shark gill-net fishery

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), 68B-30, FAC (Effective Feb. 3, 2020)

  • Updates the reference to federal commercial vessel limits in 68B-30.003 to refer to the new federal vessel limits that took effect Sept. 11, 2019

KING MACKEREL (Atlantic Fishery), 68B-30, FAC (Effective Oct. 27, 2020)

  • Updates the reference to federal commercial vessel limits in 68B-30.003 to refer to the new federal vessel limits that took effect Sept. 9, 2020

KING MACKEREL, CH 68B-12, FAC (Effective Aug. 25, 2021)

  • Under limited circumstances that are consistent with those in adjacent federal waters, passengers on for-hire trips in state waters that span more than 24 hours may possess and land double the bag limit

KING MACKEREL, CH 68B-30, FAC (Effective Aug. 25, 2021)

  • Under limited circumstances that are consistent with those in adjacent federal waters, passengers on for-hire trips in state waters that span more than 24 hours may possess and land double the bag limit

LEE COUNTY SHELLS, CH 46-26, FAC (see SOUTHWEST FLORIDA SHELLS)

LIONFISH, Executive Order 12-12 (Effective Aug. 3, 2012 – Aug. 3, 2013)

  • Waived the recreational fishing license requirement when harvesting lionfish using hand-held net, pole spear, Hawaiian sling, or any other spearing device designed and marketed exclusively for lionfish
  • Established a no bag limit policy for recreation or commercial harvest

LIONFISH, CH 68B-5.006, FAC (Effective Aug. 3, 2013)

  • Waived the requirement for a recreational fishing license for divers harvesting lionfish using the following gears: hand helt net, pole spear, Hawaiian sling, or other spearing device specifically designed and marketed for lionfish
  • Removed the 100 lb recreational daily bag limit

LIONFISH- Executive Order 13-26 (Effective Sept. 14, 2013 Sunrise until 5pm)

  • Allowed participants in the Reef Environmental Education Foundation Lionfish Derby to harvest lionfish using spearing devices from state waters of the Upper Keys from sunrise until 5 pm

LIONFISH- Executive Order 14-04 (Effective Feb. 13, 2014 Sunrise until 4 pm)

  • Allowed participants in the Key Largo Lionfish Derby to harvest lionfish using a pole spear from state waters of the Upper Keys from sunrise until 4 p.m.

LIONFISH, CH 68B-5.006 FAC (Effective Aug. 1, 2014)

  • Prohibit the importation of live lionfish

LIONFISH, CH 68B-5.006 FAC (Effective Aug. 1, 2014)

  • Allow divers using rebreathers to harvest lionfish and reference rule 68B-4.012
  • Reference rules in 68-5 prohibiting importation

LIONFISH, CH 68B-5.006, FAC (Nov. 26, 2014)

  • Prohibits the harvest and possession of lionfish eggs or larvae for any purpose other than destruction
  • Creates a scientific exception that would allow permitted research institutions to breed and cultivate lionfish for the purposes of researching population control and impact mitigation

LIONFISH, CH 68B-5.006, FAC (Effective Feb. 5, 2015)

In an effort to bring further awareness to the public about the lionfish issue, the Commission signed a resolution declaring the Saturday following Mother’s Day in May each year be known as Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day

LIONFISH, Executive Order 15-16 (Effective July 29-July 31, 2015)

Authorizes divers who harvest 10 or more lionfish per day during the 2015 lobster sport season to harvest one spiny lobster in addition to that allowed by the recreational bag limit during the sport season, July 29-30. 

LIONFISH, Executive Order 16-16, Lionfish Removal Panhandle Pilot Program (May 20, 2016-May 19, 2017, or when all 130 tags are issued, whichever comes first)

Establishing the Panhandle Pilot Program in Escambia through Franklin counties, rewarding divers who remove 100 lionfish with a single red grouper or cobia over the bag limit tag. Divers who remove 500 or more can name an artificial reef.

LIONFISH, Executive Order 16-20 (Effective July 27-July 29, 2016)

Authorizes divers who harvested 50 or more lionfish during the qualifying period for the Lionfish Challenge to harvest one spiny lobster in addition to the recreational bag limit during the sport season, July 27-28. 

LIONFISH Executive Order 17-29 (Effective July 26-28, 2017)

Authorizes registered participants who harvest 25 or more recreationally-harvested lionfish or 25 pounds of commercially-harvested lionfish during the qualifying period for the 2017 Lionfish Challenge to harvest one spiny lobster in addition to that allowed by the recreational bag limit during the 2017 spiny lobster sport season, July 26-27

LIONFISH Executive Order 18-20 (Effective July 25-27, 2018)

Authorizes registered participants who harvest 25 or more recreationally-harvested lionfish or 25 pounds of commercially-harvested lionfish during the qualifying period for the 2018 Lionfish Challenge to harvest one spiny lobster in addition to that allowed by the recreational bag limit during the 2018 spiny lobster sport season, July 25-26

MARINE LIFE, CH 46-42, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1991)

  • Designates numerous tropical ornamental fishes, invertebrates, and plants commonly collected for aquariums as "restricted species" and "marine life species"
  • Longspine urchin harvest and landing prohibited
  • Commercial harvest of gorgonian colonies prohibited when adjacent federal waters close
  • Total length minimum size limits - commercial harvesters:
    • Butterflyfishes - 1 inch
    • Gray and French angelfishes - 1 ½ inches
    • Blue and Queen angelfishes - 1 3/4 inches
    • Rock beauty - 2 inches
  • Total length maximum size limits - all harvesters:
    • Angelfishes (except Rock beauty) - 10 inches
    • Rock beauty - 6 inches
    • Butterflyfishes and Jawfishes - 4 inches
    • Gobies - 2 inches
  • Recreational per person daily bag limit: 20 individuals (no more than 5 angelfishes and 6 gorgonian colonies); one gallon of any combination of plants
  • Commercial daily vessel limits:
    • Angelfishes - 75 per person or 150 per vessel, whichever is less
    • Butterflyfishes - 75
  • Allowable gear: Hand held net, barrier net and drop net not exceeding 3/4 inch stretched mesh, slurp gun, quinaldine under certain conditions, legal live bait shrimp roller frame trawls for bycatch of tropical fish, bag or container to store catch, and a single blunt rod made of fiberglass or wood not longer than 36 inches with a diameter no greater than 3/4 inch at any point

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 46-42, FAC (Effective July 1, 1992)

  • Revises the marine life species/restricted species lists to include additional species of fish, invertebrates, and plants that are reported to have been landed by marine life fishermen
  • Prohibits the harvest of Bahama starfish
  • Prohibits the harvest of all marine life species in Biscayne National Park (status quo)
  • Strengthens paperwork requirements regarding angelfish imports to assist enforcement of size limits
  • Establishes a limit of 200 giant Caribbean or "pink-tipped" anemones per vessel per day
  • Allows rods or "tickle sticks" to be composed of any nonferrous metal
  • Allows a trawl no larger than 12 inches by 48 inches weighing no more than 5 pounds wet when weighed out of the water and towed by a vessel no greater than 15 feet in length at no greater than idle speed to collect live specimens of the dwarf seahorse
  • Requires marine life to be landed alive, and requires marine life harvesters to have an adequate live well or aeration or oxygenation system aboard the vessel to maintain harvested marine life in a healthy condition
  • Phases out "live rock" landings, except for certain aquaculture operations, over a 3 year period with 25 percent reductions each year; a 500 pound daily vessel trip limit on "live rock" landings will also apply over this period

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 46-42, FAC (Effective Oct. 18, 1993)

Deletes landing and harvest phase-out provisions for live rock harvested in federal waters.

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 46-42, FAC (Effective Jan. 1, 1995)

  • Reduces the maximum size limit for all angelfishes (including hybrids) from 10 inches to 8 inches total length - except for rock beauty; the maximum size limit for rock beauty is reduced from 6 inches to 5 inches total length
  • Establishes a maximum size limit of 8 inches total length for spotfin (Cuban) and Spanish hogfish, and a minimum size limit of 2 inches total length for Spanish hogfish
  • Increases the daily harvest limit on pink tipped anemones (genus Condylactis) from 200 to 400 per person
  • Allows persons to possess otherwise prohibited corals on live rock harvested from aquaculture operations, provided that they possess appropriate federal or state permits and provide proper notification to the Florida Marine Patrol (off the water possession by wholesale and retail dealers requires documentation that the corals were legally harvested by a permit holder)
  • Replaces the term "gorgonians" in the present rule with the term "octocorals", and define octocoral as an erect, non-encrusting species (in addition, one inch of substrate around the perimeter of the holdfast at the base of the octocoral is allowed to be harvested, as long as such substrate remains attached to the octocoral)
  • Changes the fishing year for octocorals to begin October 1 each year
  • Requires that all corals harvested in aquaculture operations remain attached to cultured rock
  • Requires that live rock harvesters landing rock harvested in federal waters give notice to the Florida Marine Patrol

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 46-42, FAC (Effective June 1, 1999)

  • Designates porkfish and blue-legged or tri-color hermit crab as "restricted species"
  • Renames star-shells (Astraea americana or Astraea phoebia) "starsnails" (Lithopoma americanum or Australium phoebium) in the marine life rule restricted species list, due to changes in nomenclature in the scientific literature
  • Renames Stenocionops furcata "Stenocionops furcatus" in the marine life rule restricted species list
  • Establishes minimum size limits of 3 inches in length for Cuban or spotfin hogfish, and 1½ inches in length for porkfish
  • Establishes daily 50-fish per person/100-fish per vessel (whichever is less) commercial limits for Spanish hogfish and Cuban or spotfin hogfish
  • Establishes a daily 75-fish per person/150-fish per vessel (whichever is less) commercial limit for porkfish
  • Establishes daily commercial limits of one gallon per person/two gallons per vessel (whichever is less) for starsnails, and one quart per person or vessel (whichever is less) for blue-legged or tricolor hermit crabs
  • Prohibits the possession for sale of any native live rock harvested in or from state waters
  • Deletes a requirement that persons must possess a saltwater products license, a marine life endorsement, and a restricted species endorsement to land or sell aquacultured live rock from state or federal waters adjacent to state waters (persons harvesting aquacultured live rock in federal waters will be required to possess a valid federal live rock aquaculture permit and a valid state aquaculture certificate - persons harvesting aquacultured live rock from leases in state waters will be required to possess a valid state aquaculture certificate)

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective Oct. 7, 2001)

Removes ocean triggerfish from the Marine Life rule and corrects the scientific name of the triggerfish family and the gray triggerfish.

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective Feb. 28, 2002)

Extends the moratorium on the issuance of new marine life endorsements through June 30, 2005.

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective Feb. 1, 2005)

  • Establishes a tiered license system that includes the following three types of marine life endorsements:
    1. Marine Life Transferable Dive Endorsement for people who will collect marine life full-time by diving or with other legal gears; based on an applicant's reported income from landings of marine life species or live rock during one of the license years between July 1, 1999 and June 30, 2003; to qualify, a collector must have had at least $5,000 in reported income from marine life landings during one of the qualifying years
    2. Marine Life Bycatch Endorsement for persons who will collect marine life primarily as bycatch in other fisheries with gear other than diving gear and with reported income of less than $5,000 during one of the qualifying years
    3. Marine Life Non-Transferable Dive Endorsement for divers who have less than $5,000 in marine life landings or hold a state live rock lease or federal live rock permit during one of the qualifying years and wish to harvest by diving - allows harvest by diving
  • Limits bycatch and non-transferable dive endorsement holders to one Saltwater Products License that can be endorsed. Transferable Dive Endorsement holders may endorse up to two Saltwater Products Licenses, either one vessel and one individual license or two vessel licenses
  • Includes provisions regarding qualifying species, re-qualifying and transferability criteria, conversion of endorsements, annual renewal deadlines, an appeals process, prohibiting leasing of endorsements and other related provisions

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective July 1, 2006)

Provides that, for purposes of determining the legal size of marine life species, "total length" means the straight-line distance from the most forward point of the head with the mouth closed, to the farthest tip of the tail with the tail compressed or squeezed, while the fish is lying on its side.

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective July 1, 2009)

  • Adds these species to marine life rule: porcupine fish, spotted burrfish, black brotula, key brotula, yellow stingray, blackbar soldierfish, red mithrax crab, emerald crab, red ridged clinging crab, the star snail lithopoma tectum, all hermit crabs (except land hermits), and nassarius snails
  • Allows recreational harvesters to take no more than five of any one marine life species daily within the 20-organism aggregate bag limit and possess no more than a two-day bag limit (up to 40 marine life organisms)
  • Increase the maximum size limit for butterflyfish from 4 to 5 inches total length
  • Establishes maximum size limits of 9 inches total length for tangs and 12 inches total length for parrotfish
  • Changes the daily commercial bag limit for butterflyfish from 75 per vessel to 50 per person or 100 per vessel (if two endorsement-holders are aboard)
  • Establishes a commercial daily vessel limit of 400 dwarf seahorses
  • Reduces the commercial daily bag limit for Condylactis anemones from 400 per vessel to 200 per marine life endorsement holder on a vessel
  • Establishes commercial daily bag limits of 400 per vessel for emerald crabs, 1 gallon per person and 2 gallons per vessel for lithopoma tectum (added to the star snail bag limit), and 1 quart per person and 2 quarts per vessel for scarlet reef hermits
  • Specifies that all marine life harvesters must take ricordea (a soft coral) and all corallimorph polyps as a single polyp only
  • Establishes a commercial daily bag limit for all corallimorph polyps of 100 polyps per person or 200 per vessel (if two endorsement-holders are aboard)
  • Establishes a commercial daily bag limit for zoanthid polyps of 1 gallon of polyps per person or 2 gallons per vessel (if two endorsement-holders are aboard)
  • Specifies that the only gear allowed to be used by all marine life harvesters for collecting zoanthid and all corallimorph polyps is a flexible blade no wider than 2 inches, such as a paint scraper, putty knife or razor blade
  • Allows the harvest of ornamental sponges north of Egmont Key in the Gulf of Mexico to be taken with a 1-inch amount of substrate beyond the holdfast and a 1-inch thick piece of substrate below the holdfast of the sponge.
  • Prohibits the harvest of ornamental sponges with substrate in waters south of Egmont Key
  • Allows live rock harvest from an aquaculture lease site to count towards the requalification of the marine life transferable dive endorsement
  • Restricts quinaldine use to marine life dive and non-transferable dive endorsement holders only
  • Applies other administrative and technical rule changes

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective May 1, 2011)

Allows the transfer of tiered endorsements from May 1 through the end of February.

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective Oct. 31, 2011)

  • Extend existing marine life state regulations into federal waters
  • Prohibits the use of power tools for harvest of octocorals
  • Establishes an annual octocoral harvest quota of 70,000 colonies
  • Continues areas closed to octocoral harvest in Atlantic federal waters off Florida: Atlantic federal waters north of Cape Canaveral, Stetson-Miami Terrace Coral Habitat Area of Particular Concern (CHAPC), and Pourtales Terrace CHAPC
  • Applies other technical rule changes

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK,CH 68B-42, FAC (Effective Nov. 1, 2012)

  • Reduced the commercial and recreational bag limits to zero for the giant Caribbean sea anemone, Condylactis gigantea
  • Removed sand perch, dwarf sand perch and unicorn filefish from the marine life rule
  • Applied existing commercial size limits for angelfishes and butterfly fishes to the recreational sector
  • Extended current angelfish size limits to all hybrids
  • Clarified the definition of “live rock” by explicitly including the formations created by sabellarid tubeworms
  • Expanded the definition of snapping shrimp to include all members of the family Alpheidae
  • Included black corals in the prohibitions on marine corals

MARINE LIFE/LIVE ROCK, CH 68B-42 FAC (Effective June 1, 2014)

  • Creates a daily commercial trip limit and a daily vessel limit of 200 individual sea cucumbers

MARINE LIFE, 68B-42, FAC (Effective April 1, 2019)

  • Prohibits harvest and possession of any tropical ornamental marine life species or any tropical ornamental marine plant within the Blue Heron Bridge Special Marine Life Area
  • Tropical ornamental marine life species and tropical ornamental marine plants lawfully harvested outside the Blue Heron Bridge Special Marine Life Area may be transported directly through the Blue Heron Bridge Special Marine Life Area aboard a motorized vessel, provided that the vessel is in continuous and direct transit through the described area
  • Tropical ornamental marine life species and tropical ornamental marine plants lawfully harvested outside of the Blue Heron Bridge Special Marine Life Area may be landed within the described area only by motorized vessel at the public boat ramp or public docks located at Phil Foster County Park or at a private residence within the described area

MITTEN CRAB, Ch. 68A-23.008, FAC (Effective Oct. 10, 2000)

Prohibits all importation, transportation, possession, and sale of mitten crabs or parts in Florida.

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Oct. 19, 1989)

  • Designates mullet as a "restricted species"
  • Establishes a daily recreational bag limit of 50 fish per person
  • Creates a statewide commercial minimum size limit of 11 inches fork length and retains the 10% undersized allowance, and all commercially harvested mullet must be landed in a whole condition
  • Prohibits harvest of commercial quantities of black mullet from sunrise Saturday to sunset Sunday between Oct. 1 and Jan. 15
  • Prohibits the commercial harvest of mullet adjacent to the Everglades National Park and seaward of a line 3 nautical miles offshore in all other state waters
  • Beginning on July 1, 1992, the rule will require any gill or trammel net used in the mullet fishery to have a stretched mesh size of at least 3 inches
  • Establishes a 3 ½ inch commercial minimum mesh size in the Panhandle Region Oct. 1 – Nov. 30, in the Wakulla-Hernando Region Oct. 15 – Dec. 15, and in the East Coast Region Nov. 1 – Dec. 31 each year
  • Establishes a 3 3/4 inch commercial minimum mesh size in the Collier-Monroe Gulf Region Nov. 15 – Jan. 15 each year
  • Establishes a 4 inch commercial minimum mesh size in the St. Johns River Region Oct. 1 – Dec. 31 and in the Pasco-Lee Region Nov. 1 – Dec. 31 each year, and also in this region, allows limited use of power assisted gear in the inside waters of Manatee County during the roe season and closes additional waters around Coffee Pot Bayou in Pinellas County, in the Manatee River in Manatee County, and in Charlotte Harbor and Coral Creek in Charlotte County

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Oct. 1, 1990)

  • Prohibits all commercial harvest from noon Friday to sunset Sunday during Oct. 1 – Jan. 31 each year
  • Allows commercial harvesters to possess mullet harvested legally prior to the beginning of the weekend in excess of the bag limit under certain conditions
  • Prohibits the use of spotter planes to harvest mullet statewide
  • Increases the minimum net mesh size in the Collier-Monroe Gulf Region to 4 inches stretched mesh Nov. 15 – Jan. 14 beginning in 1991
  • Prohibits all commercial harvest of mullet in the Caloosahatchee and St. Lucie river systems
  • Allows commercial harvest of mullet in Lake Okeechobee by haul seines subject to Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission restrictions

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Sept. 1, 1991)

  • Changes daily bag limit for recreational fishermen to 50 per person or vessel, whichever is less
  • Deletes "restricted species" provisions in the rule for the Panhandle Region

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Oct. 5, 1992)

  • Closes commercial gill net fishing for mullet in Tampa Bay waters of St. Petersburg out to 200 yards offshore from the St. Petersburg Pier to Weedon Island from Oct. 1 through Jan. 31 each year
  • Establishes a daily bag limit for mullet in this area and inshore waters in the city of St. Petersburg of five per person or boat, whichever is less

MULLET: PASCO-LEE REGION SEASONAL COMMERCIAL HARVEST CLOSURES, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Sept. 1, 1993)

Expands the closure period for the commercial harvest of mullet in certain inshore waters of the Manatee and Peace Rivers and Coral Creek to Nov. 1 through Jan. 31 each year.

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Nov. 16, 1993)

  • Prohibits the commercial harvest of mullet from noon Friday through noon Monday each week from July through January (the sale of mullet harvested under the recreational bag limit during this period is also prohibited)
  • Prohibits all harvest of mullet during a 10-day period beginning at noon on the fourth Friday of December each year (persons are allowed to possess cut up or eviscerated mullet to use as bait aboard vessels during the closures, provided that no net other than a landing or dip net is possessed aboard the vessel)
  • Establishes a 500 pound daily commercial trip limit for mullet from July through September each year (two persons fishing pursuant to separate saltwater products licenses with restricted species endorsements aboard a single vessel may possess no more than 1,000 pounds of mullet aboard the vessel; one of these licenses may be applicable to the vessel; the restricted species endorsement provision does not apply to the Panhandle Region)

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Nov. 29, 1993)

Expands the area around the Tampa Bay shoreline of St. Petersburg that is closed to possession of nets other than a single cast net between Oct. 1 and Jan. 31 each year, to include the waters of Riviera Bay and Bayou Grande (commonly known as Papy's Bayou).

MULLET - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER96-3, FAC (Effective July 1 – Sept. 28, 1996)

  • Prohibits the simultaneous possession of any species of mullet in excess of the recreational bag limit (50 fish) and any gill or entangling net
  • Eliminates the July through September 500 pounds commercial daily vessel harvest limit for mullet

MULLET - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER96-4, FAC (Effective Nov. 7, 1996 – Feb. 5, 1997)

  • Establishes the only allowable gear that can be used at any time for the harvest of mullet as cast nets with a radius no greater than 12 feet, 7 inches (no more than 2 such nets may be fished from any vessel at a time); beach or haul seines with a total area no greater than 500 square feet - including any attached material that adds to the fishing surface of the net, such as tarpaulin or plastic (no more than 2 such unconnected nets may be fished from any vessel at any time); hook and line gear; and gigs
  • Eliminates the late December/early January weekday closure to the commercial harvest of mullet
  • Changes (reduces) weekend commercial mullet harvest closures to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and end at 8:00 a.m. on Mondays

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective March 3, 1997)

  • Establishes the only allowable gear that may be used to harvest mullet as cast nets with a radius no greater than12 feet/7 inches; beach or haul seines; until January 1, 1999 - certain non-bottom fishing skimmer nets (in no case shall any net used be connected or exceed 500 square feet in total area, including any attached material that adds to the fishing surface of the net, and no more than 2 nets may be fished from a vessel at any time); hook and line gear; and gigs
  • Prohibits the simultaneous possession of any species of mullet in excess of the daily recreational bag limit (50 fish) and any gill or entangling net, including on separate vessels or vehicles operating together
  • Eliminates the July through September 500 pounds commercial daily vessel harvest limit for mullet
  • Eliminates the late December/early January closure to the commercial harvest of mullet
  • Changes (reduces) weekend commercial mullet harvest closures to begin at 4:00 p.m. on Fridays and end at 8:00 a.m. on Mondays
  • Deletes numerous unnecessary mullet rule provisions regarding the use of gill and trammel nets and areal restrictions

MULLET: CHARLOTTE COUNTY SEASONAL NIGHTTIME CLOSURE (Punta Gorda), CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Feb. 24, 1998)

Prohibits the harvest of mullet between the hours of 6:00 p.m. and 6:00 a.m. within the City of Punta Gorda from Nov. 1 until March 1 each year.

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Nov. 16, 1998)

  • Extends the designation of mullet as a restricted species to waters of the Florida Panhandle west of the Ochlockonee River
  • Prohibits the possession and sale of mullet taken in illegal gill or entangling nets

MULLET, CH 46-39, FAC (Effective Dec. 31, 1998)

Extends the allowance on the use of certain specified skimmer nets to harvest mullet until Jan. 1, 2000.

MULLET, CH 68B-39, FAC (Effective March 30, 2000)

Increases the vessel limit for black mullet from 50 fish to 100 fish daily if two or more licensed persons are aboard during the period Feb. 1 through Aug. 31 each year

MULLET, CH 68B-39, FAC (Effective July 1, 2001)

Prohibits spearfishing of mullet in freshwater.

MULLET, CH 68B-39, FAC (Effective Oct. 7, 2001)

Establishes the weekend closure to commercial mullet fishing as 12:01 a.m. Saturday until 12:01 a.m. Monday.

MULLET, CH 68B-39, FAC (Effective July 1, 2003)

  • Designates silver mullet as a restricted species
  • Prohibits the commercial harvest of silver mullet during February on the Atlantic coast
  • Implements a statewide Saturday-Sunday closure for commercial harvest of silver mullet from July 1 - Jan. 31 and prohibits the sale of silver mullet harvested during this closure
  • Implements a statewide aggregate recreational bag limit for both striped and silver mullet of 50 fish per person (from Feb. 1 to Aug. 31, a maximum vessel limit of 100 mullet applies, and from Sep. 1 - Jan. 31, a maximum vessel limit of 50 mullet applies)

MULLET, CH 68B-39, FAC (Effective July 13, 2008)

Allows the commercial harvest of striped mullet on weekends.

MULLET – EXECUTIVE ORDER 16-54, CH 68B-39.0045 FAC (Effective Nov. 29, 2016)

Clarifying the boundaries for the mullet seasonal bag limit reduction in Pinellas County

MULLET, 68B-39, FAC (Effective May 16, 2019)

  • Explicitly allow “snagging” or “snatch hooking” of mullet
  • Clarify, streamline, and standardize rule language to be consistent with Marine Fisheries Rule Cleanup

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