Saltwater Public Comments
The FWC welcomes comments on any species, even those not featured on this page, at any time via the comment form below, email at Marine@MyFWC.com or phone at 850-487-0554.
The following topics are either tentatively slated to be brought before the Commission in the near future or items FWC staff plan to begin working on.
This is not an all-encompassing list and topics may be moved to a later date or not discussed at all.
Visit the Commission meeting agenda page to see what FWC staff will be presenting to the Commission at an upcoming meeting.
Public Workshops
Share your input in person by attending a public workshop.
Future Commission Meeting Items
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is considering a new regional management approach for the spotted seatrout fishery, similar to the current frameworks for redfish and snook. Potential changes under consideration include establishing smaller seatrout management regions with regulations based on evaluations of multiple management metrics specific to each region.
Staff are hosting a series of public workshops around the state, including one virtual workshop, from September 8-18, 2025. For information about these workshops, visit: MyFWC.com/SaltwaterWorkshops
Proposed rules will be presented to the FWC Commission at their November 2025 Commission meeting. For details about Commission meetings, visit: MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings
To comment on this topic, please use the form below.
FWC is considering changes to rules governing the Marine Special Activity License (SAL) program (Chapter 68B-8, Florida Administrative Code). Potential changes under consideration include updates to eligibility requirements, evaluation criteria, license conditions, and requirements for tagging marine organisms; modifying terminology related to third-party contractors, revising the definition of prohibited species and prohibited species collection criteria; streamlining rules related to the transferability of marine organisms harvested under an SAL; updates to Scientific Research, Education/Exhibition, Stock Collection and Release, Snook, Gear Innovation, Governmental Purpose, Nonprofit Corporation, and Marine Chemical SALs; and updates to the Florida Marine Science Educators Association Certification process.
Staff hosted a virtual public workshop on this topic on March 7, 2025. For information about this workshop, visit: MyFWC.com/SaltwaterWorkshops
Proposed rules will be presented to the FWC Commission at their May 2025 Commission meeting. For details about Commission meetings, visit: MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings
To comment on this topic, please use the form below.
The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking input on the regulation and management of commercial and recreational oyster harvest in Florida, and specifically in Apalachicola Bay. Potential updates under consideration are changes to licensing requirements for fishery participants, bag limits, seasons, tolerances for undersized attached and unattached oysters, enforcement of undersized oysters in a certified oyster house, modifying how harvest units are measured.
Staff will be hosting public in-person and virtual workshops from April-June. In-person workshops will be hosted in Apalachicola, Pensacola, Cedar Key, and St. Augustine. For more information on these workshops, visit MyFWC.com/SaltwaterWorkshops.
Public feedback will inform staff’s rule recommendations to the Commission. Apalachicola & statewide oyster management proposed rules will be presented at the August 2025 Commission meeting. For details about Commission meetings, visit MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings
If you are unable to attend the in-person or virtual workshops but would still like to comment on this topic, please use the form below or send an email to Marine@MyFWC.com.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) wants your feedback on proposed rule amendments to increase the commercial and recreational minimum size limit and establish a recreational bag limit for lane snapper in Gulf state waters. Proposed rule amendments include:
- Increasing the commercial and recreational size limit from 8 inches to 10 inches
- Establish a 20 fish per person recreational bag limit for Gulf lane snapper. Currently, there is no established bag limit therefore defaulting to two fish or 100 lbs., whichever is greater
The proposed regulations would help reduce over harvest of Gulf lane snapper, reduce the likelihood of season closures and provide consistency between Gulf state waters and pending federal regulation changes.
Feedback will help inform staff’s recommendations for final rules to the Commission. For details about Commission meetings, visit MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings.
To comment on this topic, please email Marine@MyFWC.com or use the form below.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is considering adding a recently discovered species, Carolina hammerhead, to the Prohibited Species List within Rule 68B-44.004, F.A.C. The proposed rule would prohibit landing/harvesting/possessing, attempting to land/harvest/possess. or harming Carolina hammerhead or any part thereof in Florida state waters.
Carolina hammerhead is visually indistinguishable from scalloped hammerhead, which is already classified as a prohibited species in state waters due to the presence of nursery grounds in areas of high fishing pressure. Adding Carolina hammerhead to the Prohibited Species List would mitigate identification challenges and accidental harvest of scalloped hammerhead and would strengthen measures for large coastal hammerheads previously established by the Commission.
Feedback on this proposed rule will help inform staff’s recommendations to the FWC Commission at their November 2025 Commission meeting. For details about Commission meetings, visit MyFWC.com/About/Commission/Commission Meetings.
To comment on this topic, please email Marine@MyFWC.com or use the form below.
Other topics
The FWC will be reviewing several trap fisheries in the upcoming year including spiny lobster, blue crab, pinfish/baitfish, trap retrieval, recreational trap fisheries, and traps used for shellfish aquaculture leases.