Prohibited Species
It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell or exchange the following species:
Goliath Grouper (Jewfish), Nassau Grouper, Sawfish, Atlantic Angel Shark, Basking Shark, Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark, Bigeye Sixgill Shark, Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bignose Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Caribbean Sharpnose Shark,
Dusky Shark, Galapagos Shark, Lemon Shark, Longfin Mako Shark, Narrowtooth Shark, Night Shark, Silky Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Sevengill Shark, Sixgill Shark, Smalltail Shark, Spiny Dogfish, Whale Shark,
White Shark, Tiger Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark, Scalloped and Smooth Hammerhead Shark, Manta Ray, Devil Ray, Spotted Eagle Ray, Longbill Spearfish, Mediterranean Spearfish, Sturgeon, Queen Conch, Calico Scallop,
Stony, Hard and Fire Corals, Sea Fans, Bahama Starfish, and Longspine Urchin. Harvest of live rock in state waters is prohibited. Puffer fish harvest is prohibited in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
Crustaceans and Mollusks
Crab, Stone
★ ■
Minimum Size Limits:
• 2 ¾" claw
Closed Season:
• May 16–Oct. 14
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 1 gal. claws per harvester or 2 gal. per vessel,
whichever is less
Remarks
• 5 traps maximum. Visit MyFWC.com for statewide
trap construction requirements and specific
requirements that apply in Miami-Dade, Monroe
and Collier. Illegal to possess whole crab. Harvest
of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Bay Scallops
●
Season:
• Gulf/Bay County: July 25-Sept. 10, 2017
• Fenholloway to Suwannee rivers: June 16–
Sept. 10, 2017
• All other open areas: July 1–Sept. 24, 2017
Visit MyFWC.com for details
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per harvester per
day; no more than 10 gallons whole, or ½ gallon
meat per vessel anytime
Remarks
• Harvest allowed only in state waters of the Gulf of
Mexico from the Pasco-Hernando county line, to
the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay
County. It is illegal to harvest, possess and land
bay scallops on waters outside open harvest area.
Sharks
Retainable Sharks with no minimum size limit ▲ T
Retainable Sharks with a 54" fork length minimum ▲ ★ T
Blue, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, shortfin mako (not illustrated).
,
p , p
Bull
Nurse
Spinner
Common Thresher
Atlantic Sharpnose
Finetooth
Blacknose
Bonnethead
Smooth Dogfish
Blacktip
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 1 per harvester or 2 per vessel per day, whichever is less.
Remarks
• The retainable sharks are managed as a group for bag
limit purposes. In other words, you can only harvest one
shark per day and the shark that you harvest must be
one of the retainable species.
• Hook-and-line gear only.
• See list of prohibited species below.
Oysters
Minimum Size Limit:
• 3"
Closed Season:
• June, July, Aug. in Dixie, Wakulla, Levy counties.
• July, Aug., Sept. in all other areas except Apalachicola Bay which has open areas year-round.
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 2 bags per harvester or vessel except Apalachicola Bay
Remarks
• Aplachicola Bay: special bag limits and other
harvest restrictions apply. See MyFWC.com for
detailed information.
• Apalachicola Bay has summer & winter seasons/
areas.
• Harvest from approved shellfish areas during
daylight hours only.
• Go to FloridaAquaculture.com to determine the
Open or Closed status of shellfish harvesting
areas.
• May not harvest half hour after official sunset
until half hour before official sunrise.
• 1 Bag = 60 lbs. or two 5 gal. buckets (whole
in shell)
• Harvest prohibited in any harvest area that
is in the Closed status as determined by the
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services.
Spiny Lobster
★ ▲
Minimum Size Limit:
• Carapace must be greater than 3" measured in
the water
Seasons:
• Sport Season open July 26–27, 2017
• Regular Season opens Aug. 6 through March 31
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• Sport Season: 6 per harvester per day in Monroe
County and Biscayne National Park, 12 per day in
all other harvest areas.
• Regular Season: 6 per harvester in all areas
Remarks
• Recreational trapping prohibited. Spiny lobster
permit required when license required. Harvest
of egg-bearing females prohibited.
Lobster
★ ▲
n waters outside open harvest are
Crab, Blue
★
Closed Season:
• Regional trap closures apply. See map on page 6
or visit MyFWC.com for 2017 trap closure dates
and locations.
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 10 gallons whole per harvester per day
Remarks
• 5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply.
Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Shrimp
▲
Closed Season:
• April & May closed in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns,
Putnam, Flagler & Clay counties
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 5 gallons heads on per harvester or vessel per
day, whichever is less
Remarks
• Visit: MyFWC.com/Fishing and select "Saltwater",
"Regulations" and "Shrimp" for additional regulations specific to Dade, Nassau and Duval
Clams (Hard)
●
Minimum Size Limits:
• 1" thick across hinge
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• One 5 gal. bucket per harvester or 2 per vessel
(whole in shell)
Remarks
• Illegal to harvest from closed areas.
• Go to www.FloridaAquaculture.com for allowable
harvesting areas.
• May not harvest half hour after official sunset
until half hour before official sunrise.
FWC – Division of Marine Fisheries Management, 2590 Executive Center Circle East, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 850-487-0554
This publication is provided as a guide to Florida fishing laws and regulations. The Florida Administrative Code is the final authority on fishing laws. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) strives to ensure information in this booklet is accurate, but assumes no liability for any errors that occur in this publication.
55
It is unlawful to harvest, possess, land, purchase, sell or exchange the following species:
Goliath Grouper (Jewfish), Nassau Grouper, Sawfish, Atlantic Angel Shark, Basking Shark, Bigeye Sand Tiger Shark, Bigeye Sixgill Shark, Bigeye Thresher Shark, Bignose Shark, Caribbean Reef Shark, Caribbean Sharpnose Shark,
Dusky Shark, Galapagos Shark, Lemon Shark, Longfin Mako Shark, Narrowtooth Shark, Night Shark, Silky Shark, Sand Tiger Shark, Sandbar Shark, Sevengill Shark, Sixgill Shark, Smalltail Shark, Spiny Dogfish, Whale Shark,
White Shark, Tiger Shark, Great Hammerhead Shark, Scalloped and Smooth Hammerhead Shark, Manta Ray, Devil Ray, Spotted Eagle Ray, Longbill Spearfish, Mediterranean Spearfish, Sturgeon, Queen Conch, Calico Scallop,
Stony, Hard and Fire Corals, Sea Fans, Bahama Starfish, and Longspine Urchin. Harvest of live rock in state waters is prohibited. Puffer fish harvest is prohibited in Volusia, Brevard, Indian River, St. Lucie and Martin counties.
Crustaceans and Mollusks
Crab, Stone
★ ■
Minimum Size Limits:
• 2 ¾" claw
Closed Season:
• May 16–Oct. 14
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 1 gal. claws per harvester or 2 gal. per vessel,
whichever is less
Remarks
• 5 traps maximum. Visit MyFWC.com for statewide
trap construction requirements and specific
requirements that apply in Miami-Dade, Monroe
and Collier. Illegal to possess whole crab. Harvest
of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Bay Scallops
●
Season:
• Gulf/Bay County: July 25-Sept. 10, 2017
• Fenholloway to Suwannee rivers: June 16–
Sept. 10, 2017
• All other open areas: July 1–Sept. 24, 2017
Visit MyFWC.com for details
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 2 gallons whole or 1 pint meat per harvester per
day; no more than 10 gallons whole, or ½ gallon
meat per vessel anytime
Remarks
• Harvest allowed only in state waters of the Gulf of
Mexico from the Pasco-Hernando county line, to
the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay
County. It is illegal to harvest, possess and land
bay scallops on waters outside open harvest area.
Sharks
Retainable Sharks with no minimum size limit ▲ T
Retainable Sharks with a 54" fork length minimum ▲ ★ T
Blue, oceanic whitetip, porbeagle, shortfin mako (not illustrated).
,
p , p
Bull
Nurse
Spinner
Common Thresher
Atlantic Sharpnose
Finetooth
Blacknose
Bonnethead
Smooth Dogfish
Blacktip
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 1 per harvester or 2 per vessel per day, whichever is less.
Remarks
• The retainable sharks are managed as a group for bag
limit purposes. In other words, you can only harvest one
shark per day and the shark that you harvest must be
one of the retainable species.
• Hook-and-line gear only.
• See list of prohibited species below.
Oysters
Minimum Size Limit:
• 3"
Closed Season:
• June, July, Aug. in Dixie, Wakulla, Levy counties.
• July, Aug., Sept. in all other areas except Apalachicola Bay which has open areas year-round.
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 2 bags per harvester or vessel except Apalachicola Bay
Remarks
• Aplachicola Bay: special bag limits and other
harvest restrictions apply. See MyFWC.com for
detailed information.
• Apalachicola Bay has summer & winter seasons/
areas.
• Harvest from approved shellfish areas during
daylight hours only.
• Go to FloridaAquaculture.com to determine the
Open or Closed status of shellfish harvesting
areas.
• May not harvest half hour after official sunset
until half hour before official sunrise.
• 1 Bag = 60 lbs. or two 5 gal. buckets (whole
in shell)
• Harvest prohibited in any harvest area that
is in the Closed status as determined by the
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services.
Spiny Lobster
★ ▲
Minimum Size Limit:
• Carapace must be greater than 3" measured in
the water
Seasons:
• Sport Season open July 26–27, 2017
• Regular Season opens Aug. 6 through March 31
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• Sport Season: 6 per harvester per day in Monroe
County and Biscayne National Park, 12 per day in
all other harvest areas.
• Regular Season: 6 per harvester in all areas
Remarks
• Recreational trapping prohibited. Spiny lobster
permit required when license required. Harvest
of egg-bearing females prohibited.
Lobster
★ ▲
n waters outside open harvest are
Crab, Blue
★
Closed Season:
• Regional trap closures apply. See map on page 6
or visit MyFWC.com for 2017 trap closure dates
and locations.
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 10 gallons whole per harvester per day
Remarks
• 5 traps maximum. Trap requirements apply.
Harvest of egg-bearing crabs prohibited.
Shrimp
▲
Closed Season:
• April & May closed in Nassau, Duval, St. Johns,
Putnam, Flagler & Clay counties
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• 5 gallons heads on per harvester or vessel per
day, whichever is less
Remarks
• Visit: MyFWC.com/Fishing and select "Saltwater",
"Regulations" and "Shrimp" for additional regulations specific to Dade, Nassau and Duval
Clams (Hard)
●
Minimum Size Limits:
• 1" thick across hinge
Daily Recreational Bag Limit:
• One 5 gal. bucket per harvester or 2 per vessel
(whole in shell)
Remarks
• Illegal to harvest from closed areas.
• Go to www.FloridaAquaculture.com for allowable
harvesting areas.
• May not harvest half hour after official sunset
until half hour before official sunrise.
FWC – Division of Marine Fisheries Management, 2590 Executive Center Circle East, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Phone: 850-487-0554
This publication is provided as a guide to Florida fishing laws and regulations. The Florida Administrative Code is the final authority on fishing laws. The Florida Fish and Wildlife
Conservation Commission (FWC) strives to ensure information in this booklet is accurate, but assumes no liability for any errors that occur in this publication.
55