Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-24.0065 - Special Provisions for John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park in Monroe County: Closure During Two-day Sport Season; Closure of Coral Formation Protection Zones

(1) During the two-day sport season established in subsection 68B-24.005(2), F.A.C., there shall be no harvest of spiny lobster in John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. Except for persons transiting park waters in a vessel, no person shall possess any spiny lobster in or on the waters of the park during this period. Possession of spiny lobster during this period aboard any vessel from which a person is diving, within the boundaries of the park, is prohibited.

(2) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission finds that lobster harvest in the coral formation areas of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park is inconsistent with maintenance of the valuable marine resources contained in and supported by such formations and with the purposes of the park.

(a) During the regular spiny lobster season established in subsection 68B-24.005(1), F.A.C., no person shall harvest or attempt to harvest any species of the Genera Panulirus or Scyllarides, or deploy any trap, in the following described areas of John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, each of which is a polygon bounded by the lines connecting the coordinates as expressed by latitude and longitude:

			North	West
	Name of Area	Plot Corner	Latitude	Longitude
1.	Turtle Rocks	North	25° 18.6'	80° 13.35'
		East	25° 18.05'	80° 12.8'
		South	25° 16.49'	80° 13.95'
		West	25° 16.95'	80° 14.55'
2.	Basin Hill N.	North	25° 14.6'	80° 16.0'
		East	25° 14.42'	80° 15.72'
		South	25° 14.00'	80° 16.00'
		West	25° 14.25'	80° 16.3'
3.	Basin Hill E.	North	25° 14.34'	80° 15.58'
		East	25° 14.1'	80° 15.35'
		South	25° 13.62'	80° 15.58'
		West	25° 13.82'	80° 16.08'
4.	Basin Hill S.	North	25° 13.95'	80° 16.6'
		East	25° 13.42'	80° 16.1'
		South	25° 12.4'	80° 17.08'
		West	25° 12.75'	80° 17.65'
5.	Higdon's Reef	North	25° 08.6'	80° 18.74'
		East	25° 08.4'	80° 18.55'
		South	25° 07.8'	80° 19.2'
		West	25° 08.0'	80° 19.36'
6.	Cannon Patch	North	25° 06.95'	80° 20.5'
		East	25° 06.6'	80° 20.15'
		South	25° 05.95'	80° 20.7'
		West	25° 06.05'	80° 21.75'
7.	Mosquito Bank N.	North	25° 04.85'	80° 23.00'
		East	25° 04.7'	80° 22.2'
		South	25° 03.6'	80° 23.05'
		West	25° 04.21'	80° 23.40'
8.	Mosquito Bank S.E.	North	25° 04.15'	80° 22.3'
		East	25° 04.15'	80° 22.1'
		South	25° 03.3'	80° 22.9'
		West	25° 03.3'	80° 23.1'
9.	Three Sisters N.	North	25° 02.75'	80° 23.75'
		East	25° 02.55'	80° 23.3'
		South	25° 01.09'	80° 24.05'
10.	Three Sisters S.	North	25° 01.75'	80° 23.78'
		South	25° 01.42'	80° 24.1'
		West	25° 01.67'	80° 24.4'

(b) Within the areas described in paragraph (a), no person shall possess while in or on the water or aboard any vessel, any species of the Genera Panulirus or Scyllarides.

(c) Within John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, no person shall harvest any species of the Genera Panulirus or Scyllarides, or deploy any trap, from or within any patch reef. The term "patch reef" means any coral formation, consisting of a roughly circular area of hard corals, soft corals, and a mixture of other benthic invertebrates.

(d) The term "trap" for purposes of this subsection means any trap used to harvest or attempt to harvest spiny lobster as allowed by Rule 68B-24.006, F.A.C., stone crabs as allowed by subsection 68B-13.002(2), F.A.C., or blue crab trap as allowed by subsection 68B-45.004(1), F.A.C.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-24.0065

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

New 6-1-94, Amended 10-4-95, Formerly 46-24.0065.

New 6-1-94, Amended 10-4-95, Formerly 46-24.0065.