Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-45.002 - Definitions

As used in this rule chapter:

(1) "Blue crab" means any crustacean of the species Callinectes sapidus, or any part thereof.

(2) "Bycatch reduction device" or "BRD" means a rigid rectangular device or implement that forms the perimeter of the opening of a throat or entrance to a trap used to harvest blue crabs or peeler crabs and is intended to minimize bycatch of diamondback terrapins by limiting the size of the opening.

(3) "Drop net" means a small, usually circular, net with weights attached along the outer edge and a single float in the center.

(4) "Eggbearing blue crab" means a female blue crab whose eggs are extruded and deposited on the swimmerettes.

(5) "Escape ring" means a rigid ring forming the boundary of an opening placed flush with the vertical surface of the wire mesh wall of the crab trap.

(6) "Fold up trap" means a plastic or wire meshed collapsing trap that opens outward to occupy a single plane when placed on the water bottom. It is baited in the center of the base panel and encloses crabs when retrieved by means of a cord drawing together the side panels.

(7) "Gulf Seasonal Closure Region" means all state waters of the Gulf of Mexico seaward of three nautical miles from shore.

(8) "Hard shell crab" means any blue crab in intermolt condition that has a shell that is rigid and inflexible.

(9) "Mesh size" means the size of the opening or space within a polygon formed by the wire of a crab trap, to be measured at the largest dimension across such opening or space in an undistorted condition.

(10) "Harvest" means the catching or taking of a blue crab by any means whatsoever, followed by a reduction of such blue crab to possession. Blue crabs caught but immediately returned to the water free, alive, and unharmed are not harvested. Temporary possession of a blue crab for the purpose of measuring it to determine compliance with the size requirements of this chapter shall not constitute the harvesting of such blue crab, provided that it is measured on the water immediately after taking, and immediately returned to the water free, alive, and unharmed if undersized.

(11) "Harvest for commercial purposes" means the taking or harvesting of blue crab for purposes of sale or with intent to sell or in excess of the bag limit.

(12) "Immediate family" refers to a license holder's mother, father, sister, brother, spouse, son, daughter, step-father, step-mother, step-son, step-daughter, half-sister, half-brother, son-in-law or daughter-in-law.

(13) "Offshore" means all state waters seaward of the COLREGS Demarcation Line.

(14) "Peeler crab" means a hard blue crab in pre-molt condition having a new soft shell developed under the hard shell and having a definite white, pink, or red line or rim on the outer edge of the back fin or flipper, and retained specifically for soft crab shedding operations and marketed only after molting and prior to the hardening of the new shell.

(15) "Push scrape" means a mesh net or bag attached to the outer edges of a triangular or rectangular rigid frame with a handle attached that is fished by being pushed across the bottom by a person wading.

(16) "Soft shell crab" means any blue crab that has recently molted and has a shell that is tender and flexible.

(17) "Trotline" means a submerged line with bait at repetitive intervals.

(18) "Untreated pine" means raw pine wood that has not been treated with any preservative or pine wood that has been pressure treated with no more than 0.40 pounds of chromated copper arsenate (CCA) compounds per cubic foot of wood.

Notes

Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-45.002

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

New 12-14-93, Amended 6-1-94, 10-4-95, Formerly 46-45.002, Amended 7-1-03, 7-15-04, 5-26-05, 10-15-07, Amended by Florida Register Volume 48, Number 016, January 25, 2022 effective 3/1/2022.

New 12-14-93, Amended 6-1-94, 10-4-95, Formerly 46-45.002, Amended 7-1-03, 7-15-04, 5-26-05, 10-15-07, 3-1-22.