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 FWC is adopting a regional management approach for snook that includes a review of several environmental and human factors such as habitat, fishing effort, and stakeholder feedback to evaluate the fishery at a more local scale. The FWC is proposing final rules for snook that include new management regions along with a suite of regulations based on the fishery status in each region. These final rule recommendations include:
- Establishing a 2-fish vessel limit statewide.
- Adding September to the closed season for the Charlotte Harbor and Southwest Regions.
- Making snook catch-and-release only in the Tampa Bay Region.
Staff held a virtual workshop in September to gather public feedback on potential regulation changes. If you were unable to attend the virtual workshop, an on-demand recording of the presentation is available at Youtube.com/FWCSaltwaterFishing.
Comment on this item using the form below.
FWC wants your feedback on a federal consistency action to modify recreational gag and black grouper regulations in Atlantic state waters, including all state waters of Monroe County.
Specifically, the rule would:
- Establish a 2 fish per vessel recreational limit for gag and black grouper, and
- Prohibit retention of gag and black grouper by captain and crew on for-hire trips
Recently, the South Atlantic Council approved similar changes to end overfishing of gag grouper and help rebuild the stock. Because of misidentification issues, the Council also approved applying the same changes to recreational black grouper fishery. These federal changes are pending approval and implementation by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce.
Staff will present a federal consistency action at a future Commission meeting and would like your input.
Comment on this item using the form below.
FWC staff are proposing the following modifications to the stone crab rule language:
- For the upcoming 2023/24 stone crab season, allow the required unobstructed escape ring 2 3/16” in diameter to be located anywhere in all plastic or wood stone crab traps.
- Beginning the 2024/25 stone crab season, an unobstructed escape ring 2 3/16” in diameter to be located within a vertical exterior trap wall for all plastic and wood stone crab traps.
Staff will present this proposed final rule at the October 2023 Commission meeting.
Comment on this item using 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.
Both the gag grouper stocks in the Gulf and South Atlantic are overfished and undergoing overfishing. This will require new rebuilding plans and lead to modifying current management regulations. Staff welcomes any management suggestions or feedback that could help better understand and improve gag grouper populations statewide.