Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-22.007 - Catch-Hold-and-Release Tournament Exemption

(1) Except as provided in this rule, the practice of catching, holding, and releasing redfish is prohibited. The Executive Director of the FWC, or his designee, shall issue a tournament exemption permit to the director of a catch-and-release fishing tournament to allow redfish to be caught, held, and released during the tournament, and to allow the tournament to exceed redfish bag and possession limits pursuant to Rule 68B-22.005, F.A.C., after redfish have been weighed-in, provided that each of the following conditions is met:

(a) Tournament anglers and tournament staff agree to attempt to release alive all redfish that are caught, including those fish that are weighed-in.

(b) Each two person team of tournament anglers possesses no more than two live redfish in the boat's live well or recirculating tank at any one time.

(c) All boats used in the tournament contain recirculating or aerated live wells that are at least 2.4 cubic feet or 18 gallons in capacity.

(d) Dead redfish possessed by a two person team of tournament anglers are not discarded. A dead redfish is considered harvested and will count as the daily bag limit for the team of tournament anglers who harvested that fish.

(e) Redfish are maintained in an aerated recovery holding tank prior to release. Recovery holding tank requirements may be specified in the tournament exemption permit at the FWC's discretion in order to increase survival of released redfish.

(f) The tournament provides the FWC with a description of the aerated recovery holding tank(s) used to maintain redfish alive after weigh-in.

(g) The tournament provides the FWC with a description of the location where tournament caught redfish will be released after they are weighed in. In order to increase survival of released redfish, release locations may be specified in the tournament exemption permit at the FWC's discretion.

(h) The tournament permit holder shall submit a post-tournament report to the FWC indicating the number of fish weighed-in each day of the tournament, the number of fish weighed-in dead each day, and the number of fish that died after being weighed-in, but prior to release each day. The FWC may specify additional tournament reporting requirements as a condition of the tournament exemption permit.

(i) The tournament agrees to allow FWC staff the opportunity to collect research data and conduct research and onboard monitoring during the tournament, as needed.

(2) Application for issuance of a tournament exemption permit shall be made on a form provided by the FWC (Form DMF-SL 5000 (3-04), incorporated herein by reference). Tournament exemption permits will only be issued to catch-and-release redfish tournaments that agree to the permit conditions in subsection (1).

(3) Any anglers participating in a redfish tournament for which a tournament exemption permit has been issued shall have a copy of the permit in his or her possession at all times during tournament operating hours.

(4) Any violation of the conditions and requirements specified within the tournament exemption permit will be considered a violation of this rule.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-22.007

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

New 3-17-04, Amended by Florida Register Volume 48, Number 164, August 23, 2022 effective 9/1/2022.

New 3-17-04, Amended 9-1-22.