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FWC approves stone crab rule amendments
June 12, 2008
Contact: Lee Schlesinger, 850-487-0554
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation
Commission (FWC) approved two changes to its stone crab
management rules during a public meeting in Dania Beach on
Thursday.
One rule amendment continues the Stone Crab
Advisory Board until July 1, 2011, to give it time to resolve
ongoing issues in the fishery, including how to reduce the
excessive number of trap certificates in the commercial stone
crab fishery and remove and dispose of derelict stone crab
traps. The board was created by an FWC rule in 2003 to advise
the Commission about the operation of the stone crab trap
limitation program and any problems in the fishery.
Another approved rule amendment allows the use
of 16-gauge or thinner staples to secure stone crab trap
tie-down lids or the panel on wire stone crab traps. This
is consistent with current rules for blue crab traps.
These rule amendments take effect on July 13.
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