Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-13.009 - Recreational Stone Crab Harvest: Bag Limit, Trap Limit, Trap Marking Requirements, Trap Pulling, Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration Requirement

(1) BAG LIMIT. Except for persons harvesting pursuant to a saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement or an incidental take endorsement and a restricted species endorsement, each harvester of stone crab claws is subject to a daily bag limit of 1 gallon of stone crab claws; provided, however, that no more than 2 gallons shall be possessed aboard any vessel at any time.

(2) TRAP LIMIT. Except for persons holding a saltwater products license with restricted species and stone crab endorsements, no person harvesting stone crabs pursuant to this subsection shall harvest from, fish with, set, or place in the waters of the state more than 5 stone crab traps. Any such traps shall meet all requirements for stone crab traps specified in Rule 68B-13.008, F.A.C., in subsection (2), and in paragraphs (3)(b), (4)(a), (b), (d), and (e).

(3) TRAP MARKING REQUIREMENTS.

(a) The buoy attached to each trap used to harvest stone crabs, other than those used to harvest for commercial purposes, shall have a legible "R", at least two inches high, permanently affixed to it. A buoy is not required on a trap fished from a dock.

(b) Each trap shall have the harvester's full name, address, and unless exempt pursuant to paragraph (4)(d), a valid recreational stone crab trap identification number assigned by the Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration pursuant to subsection (4), permanently affixed to it in legible letters.

(4) REPORTING REQUIREMENT. The purpose and intent of this subsection is to improve recreational harvest data collection capabilities and estimates of trap effort for the recreational stone crab trap fishery by identifying the population of recreational harvesters participating in this trap fishery.

(a) Recreational harvesters are required to report their intention to harvest or attempt to harvest stone crabs using traps in the upcoming year. A recreational harvester may not deploy a stone crab trap authorized by subsection 68B-13.008(2) or harvest from or attempt to harvest from, fish with, set, or place such a trap within or without Florida Waters, unless that person has reported their intention to do so by completing the Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration within the previous 12 months. Upon completion of the Recreational Stone Crab Trap Registration, a recreational harvester will be assigned a series of five recreational stone crab trap identification numbers.

(b) Under Section 379.401(1), F.S., failure to file reports required of persons who hold recreational licenses is a non-criminal infraction.

(c) Commission-issued proof of registration required in paragraph (a) must be in the personal possession of the recreational harvester while the recreational harvester is harvesting from or attempting to harvest from, fish with, set, or place a stone crab trap authorized by subsection 68B-13.008(2) within or without Florida Waters, or in possession of a stone crab trap authorized by subsection 68B-13.008(2) within or without Florida Waters.

(d) Persons meeting the criteria outlined in paragraphs 379.353(2)(a), (i), (j), and (o), F.S., are exempt from the reporting requirement established by this subsection.

(5) TRAP PULLING. Except for persons harvesting pursuant to a saltwater products license with a stone crab endorsement and a restricted species endorsement, no person shall use any means other than manual means to pull stone crab traps in or from the waters of the State of Florida.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-13.009

Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const.

New 7-1-00, Amended 7-22-01, Amended by Florida Register Volume 44, Number 222, November 14, 2018 effective 10/1/2019.

New 7-1-00, Amended 7-22-01, 10-1-19.