A Record-Breaking Success!
Thank you to everyone who participated in purchasing a license during Governor Ron DeSantis Great Outdoors Initiative, providing 50% discounts on Gold Sportsman licenses and state park annual passes!

FWC sold more than 75,000 sportsman licenses; that is over a 400% increase in sales compared to this same period last year. We can’t wait to see what activities you choose to experience Florida’s great outdoors to the fullest!

Now that you have your license, how will you be enjoying our state’s natural resources?
#Floridians

Helping cold-stunned sea turtles

The FWC staff have been working diligently with FWC-authorized partners to respond to sea turtles affected by our recent low water and air temperatures in St. Joseph Bay in Gulf County, with the team and FWC officers in the region rescuing a total of 66 cold-stunned green turtles.

When water temps drop to 50 degrees Fahrenheit or below, sea turtles may become cold-stunned, where they become weak and unable to swim. Cold-stunned sea turtles may float listlessly in the water on or near shore. Although these turtles may appear to be dead, they are often still alive.

If you see injured, distressed or dead sea turtles, please report it to the FWC Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922).

Learn more about how cold-stunning affects turtles: https://bit.ly/3StNrP0

Snook Season Starting Soon!

The recreational harvest of snook in the Northeast, Indian River Lagoon and Southeast management regions will open February 1 and remain open through May 31. This includes all Florida state and inland waters as well as adjacent federal waters within each management region.

Find out more details including region boundaries, bag limit, slot limit, and season dates: MyFWC.com/Snook

Full Story: https://bit.ly/3SwHEZ9

Recreational harvest of snook in the Panhandle, Big Bend, Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, and Southwest management regions will open Mar. 1 and remain open through Apr. 30.

View our Social Media Policy: https://bit.ly/3qsncNb

At its meeting in Panama City Beach, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved several rule changes for spotted seatrout. Spotted seatrout are one of Florida’s most popular inshore fisheries. Based on the results of a recent stock assessment and after hearing concerns from anglers, FWC worked with stakeholders to create a suite of regulatory changes that would benefit the spotted seatrout as well as continue to provide quality fishing opportunities. 

The following rules will go into effect Feb. 1, 2020:

•  Creating two new zones by splitting the Northwest spotted seatrout management zone into the: (See maps below.)
  • Western Panhandle (Escambia County through the portions of Gulf County west of longitude 85 degrees, 13.76 minutes but NOT including Indian Pass/Indian Lagoon). 
  • Big Bend (remaining portion of Gulf County plus Indian Lagoon, and Franklin County through Fred Howard Park Causeway in Pinellas County). 
•  Creating the renamed South Florida zone (Fred Howard Park Causeway in Pinellas County near the Pasco County line through Broward County) and Central East zone (Palm Beach through Volusia counties) by moving the boundary between the southern management zones. (See maps below.)
•  Reducing bag limits
  •  Western Panhandle: five to three fish.
  •  Big Bend: no change (remains five fish).
  •  South Florida: four to three fish.
  •  Central East: four to two fish.
  •  Northeast: six to five fish. 
• Modifying the recreational slot size limit from 15-to-20 inches to 15-to-19 inches total length.
• Allowing one seatrout over 19 inches per vessel (currently per harvester).
• Prohibiting captain and crew from keeping a bag limit on a for-hire trip.
• Re-establishing the February recreational closure in the Western Panhandle zone and the November-December recreational closure in the Central East zone.
• Reducing the current daily commercial limits to 50 per harvester and 100 per vessel.
•  Removing an unnecessary commercial reporting form.

Learn More

The recreational harvest of greater amberjack in Gulf of Mexico state and federal waters closes Nov. 1 and will remain closed through April 30, 2020.  The season is scheduled to reopen May 1-31, 2020.

This seasonal harvest closure is intended to help conserve the Gulf greater amberjack population and rebuild this fishery for the future.

Learn more about recreational fishing at MyFWC.com/Fishing by clicking on “Saltwater Fishing” and “Recreational Regulations.”

Hogfish recreational harvest will close in state and federal waters off Florida’s Atlantic and southern Gulf coasts Nov. 1. This closure includes all state waters south of Cape Sable, which is on the Gulf side of Florida, and up the Atlantic coast. The Keys/east Florida hogfish season runs from May 1 through Oct. 31.

Recreational harvest remains open in state and federal waters north of Cape Sable in the Gulf.  

Visit MyFWC.com/Fishing and click on “Saltwater Fishing,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Hogfish” for more information. 

Note:  This is for Gulf of Mexico Only! 

Governor Ron DeSantis and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) today, approved by executive order, a fall Gulf of Mexico red snapper season. The fall red snapper season will be on October 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27. 

More Info

NOAA Fisheries requests comments on Amendment 43 to the Fishery Management Plan for the Snapper-Grouper Fishery of the South Atlantic Region (Amendment 43). The proposed actions would specify recreational and commercial annual catch limits for red snapper beginning in 2018.  

Read More 

Fishermen and others interested in the management of Atlantic cobia are encouraged to provide recommendations to members of the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council as they consider revising the current management system for the stock. Public hearings will be held via webinar with public listening stations from Jan. 22 - Jan. 24. Written comments will also be accepted.

Learn More