Florida Commercial Fishing Season Advisories
Atlantic Group Spanish Mackerel Trip Limit Reduced
NOAA Fisheries Service has determined 75 percent of the adjusted quota for Atlantic group Spanish mackerel has been harvested. With that action, the daily vessel trip limit for commercial vessels fishing for Atlantic group Spanish mackerel in federal waters of the southern zone is adjusted to 1,500 pounds, effective 6:00 a.m. local time, January 27, 2012. This 1,500-pound-per-day commercial trip limit applies to Spanish mackerel in the southern zone through February 29, 2012, unless changed by further notification in the Federal Register. Beginning March 1, 2012, the trip limit will increase to 3,500 pounds per day. The southern zone extends from a line directly east from the Georgia/Florida boundary and a line directly east from the Miami-Dade/Monroe County, Florida, boundary.
Red Grouper Quota Increase in Gulf of Mexico
NOAA has announced a final rule increasing the 2011 red grouper commercial harvest quota in the Gulf of Mexico from the existing 4.32 million pounds to 5.23 million pounds. The rule also sets the red grouper quotas for 2012-2015, which incrementally increase from 5.37 million pounds in 2012 to 5.72 million pounds in 2015. This rule takes effect on November 2, 2011. For fishermen holding red grouper individual fishing quota (IFQ) shares, additional allocation for 2011 will be posted to their accounts by the close of business on November 2. Reminder to red grouper IFQ shareholders: Additional red grouper allocation will be issued to your shareholder account, not your vessel account. To harvest your additional 2011 red grouper allocation, you must transfer allocation from your shareholder account to your vessel account prior to your landing notification. Directions for transferring allocation to your vessel account can be found in the IFQ Trouble Shooting Guide which can be found at https://ifq.sero.nmfs.noaa.gov/ifqgt/main.html.
Florida Stone Crab Season Opens October 15
Florida's commercial harvest season for stone crab claws opens on October 15, 2011. The season will remain open through May 15, 2012. Stone crab claws must be at least 2 3/4 inches in length to be harvested legally and claws may not be taken from egg-bearing female stone crabs. Stone crab harvest rules will remain the same. However, in June, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) voted to extend state management regulations for stone crabs into federal waters. This came after the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council voted to repeal the Fishery Management Plan for stone crabs in federal waters and allow the FWC to manage them in all waters surrounding Florida. This change goes into effect Oct. 24.
Commercial King Mackerel Fishing Closure in Northern Florida West Coast Subzone
NOAA Fisheries Service has determined the 2011-2012 commercial quota of 168,750 pounds of king mackerel from the northern Florida west coast subzone has been reached. With that action the harvest of king mackerel will be prohibited beginning 12:01 a.m., local time, October 7, 2011, for commercial vessels fishing in the northern Florida west coast subzone. The closure will remain in effect through the end of the fishing year, June 30, 2012. The northern Florida west coast subzone is located in federal waters of the Gulf of Mexico within the area of a line directly west from the Lee-Collier County, Florida, boundary and a line directly south from the Alabama-Florida boundary. In cooperative actions, the state of Florida is expected to close commercial harvest of king mackerel concurrently in adjoining state waters. During the closure period, no person aboard a vessel for which a commercial permit for king mackerel has been issued may fish for or retain Gulf group king mackerel in federal waters of the closed subzone. There is one exception, however, for a person aboard a charter vessel or headboat. A person aboard a vessel that has a valid charter/headboat permit and also has a commercial king mackerel permit for coastal migratory pelagic fish may continue to retain king mackerel in or from the closed subzone under the two-fish daily bag limit, provided the vessel is operating as a charter vessel or headboat.
Florida’s commercial harvest season for spiny lobster opens August 6, 2011, and will close March 31, 2012
Black Sea Bass Closure in South Atlantic Federal Waters
NOAA Fisheries Service has determined the 2011-2012 commercial black sea bass quota of 309,000 pounds has been reached in South Atlantic federal waters. With that action, effective 12:01 a.m. (local time), July 15, 2011, through 12:01 a.m. June 1, 2012 the commercial black sea bass fishery will close in South Atlantic federal waters from Cape Hatteras Light, N.C., to Key West, Florida. The operator of a vessel that has been issued a federal commercial permit for snapper-grouper and is landing black sea bass for sale must have landed and bartered, traded, or sold such black sea bass prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, July 15, 2011. All black sea bass pots must be removed from South Atlantic federal waters subject to the closure prior to 12:01 a.m., local time, July 15, 2011.
Harvesting of Reef Fish
Beginning June 1, 2008 commercial fishermen will be required to use non-stainless steel circle hooks, d-hooking and venting devices when using natural baits to harvest reef fish in Gulf of Mexico federal waters. Reef fish species include all snappers, groupers, sea bass, amberjacks, triggerfish, hogfish, red porgy and tilefish. For more information, please call the Gulf Council at 888-833-1844.
