New Rules; Commercial Grouper in Florida Out!

New Rules; Commercial Harvesting Grouper in Florida

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) on Thursday has allowed itself to propose new rules for the recreational and commercial harvest of grouper in Gulf of Mexico, Florida State waters. The proposed rules follow up on interim measures taken earlier this year, by your friends and mine over on the Gulf Council under EDF and its slave NOAA, run by overseer Dr Jane Lubchenco; A Puppet of Puppets and will match state grouper rules with pending federal regulations and you thought they wouldn't? The goal of the new rules are to improve populations of gag grouper so that quality fishing continue into the future, at least that is what they were miming.

A recent series of federal and state actions addresses overfishing of gag grouper in the Gulf by reducing fishing pressure, through sector separation and catch shares, are in our masters mind the solution to achieve gag grouper harvest reductions of 41-42 percent for the commercial fishery and 26 percent for the recreational fishery, through a combination of fishing season and area closures, annual harvest quota and bag limit adjustments and other measures. It is the other measures that scare the bejewels out of me! These proposed new rules would establish a Feb. 1 through March 31 closed spawning season for all recreational and commercial harvest of shallow-water groupers (gag, black, red, yellow-fin, scamp, yellow-mouth, rock hind and red hind) in all Gulf state waters. This proposed two-month closure, in Gulf state waters, would extend the current one-month commercial closed season for gag, red and black grouper. This way they can put more anglers out of business and we maybe out to change the state motto of “Fishing Capital of the World”, to Florida Home to NO FISHING HERE ANYMORE, go to the market, if your looking to get some fish! The intent of this closure is to limit the catch of gag grouper by closing harvest to all similar shallow-water grouper species during the spawning season. Sounds good but the rule is a bit dry.

These new rules would also decrease the daily recreational aggregate bag limit for all shallow-water groupers from five fish to four fish per person. In addition, the proposed rules would reduce the commercial minimum size limit for Gulf red grouper from 20 inches, to 18 inches total length. This will significantly reduce the number of 18- to 20-inch fish that do not survive upon release. Again, holding no water, what about the one under 18 inches in length? Once they are 18-20 there is a problem but as a juvenile, hooks don't catch or what is the point? A final public hearing on these rule proposals will take place during the next FWC public meeting in Crystal River in June. Are they to get an ear full from me! They ought to from you too. For more info on these new idea to rules, here is from the last meet, as to which these NEW IDEAS are from; 2009? Now that ain't no fresh fish, anyway you slice it!

http://myfwc.com/docs/CommissionMeetings/2009/2009_Apr_10B_GulfRedandGagGrouper_Final_Update2B.pdf

On the Lighter side but it is the Law!

Gulf Grouper Closed
Recreational harvest of shallow-water grouper in the Gulf of Mexico closed Feb. 1 through March 1 on Florida's Gulf Coast, except in Monroe County. The two-month closure coincides with grouper spawning season. The closure includes red, yellow-fin, scamp, yellow-mouth, rock hind and red hind grouper. Gag grouper already closed Jan. 1.
Trout are Out!
Trout season in Northeast Florida closed Tuesday, Feb. 1, for a month. The closure includes all waters north of the Flagler/Volusia County line on the east coast and on the Gulf side, north of the Fred Howard Park Causeway, located about 1.2 miles south of the Pinellas/Pasco County lines. The season reopens March 1.