FWC approves changes to marine fisheries trip ticket reporting requirements

CORRECTION MADE TO ORIGINAL RELEASE: BULLET FOR WEEKLY REPORTING PERIOD CORRECTED TO "SUNDAY - SATURDAY" INSTEAD OF "SATURDAY - SUNDAY"

At its September meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved changes to the marine fisheries trip ticket reporting requirements.

The changes, which go into effect July 1, 2025, include:

• Clarified reporting requirements.
• Requirement for all trip tickets to be submitted electronically.
• A weekly reporting period (Sunday– Saturday) and a submission deadline on the Tuesday following the end of the reporting week.
• Requirement for all Florida-licensed wholesale dealers to file a report for every reporting period.
• Requirement for commercial harvesters to report unsold commercially harvested product.
• Prohibition on the possession of commercially harvested marine organisms if they have not been reported in the required period.

These regulation changes will improve and modernize the Marine Fisheries Trip Ticket Program commercial reporting rules, which will ultimately provide more timely and accurate information for improved management of Florida’s marine fisheries and faster requests for federal aid after a natural disaster.

Prior to these rules taking effect, FWC will provide online and in-person training to help wholesale dealers and harvesters prepare for the new rules taking effect next year. For information on the current marine trip ticket program, visit MyFWC.com/Research. Select “Saltwater,” followed by “Commercial Fisheries” under the Fisheries-Dependent Monitoring tab. Lastly, select “Commercial Wholesale and Retail Dealers.”

For more information on this rulemaking, including the September 2024 Commission Meeting presentation, visit MyFWC.com/Commission and click on “Commission Meetings.”