Two-Part Lionfish Removal Effort for 2016 Approved
[dropcap]A[/dropcap]t its April 13 meeting in Jupiter, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved a two-part lionfish plan to further encourage removals of the invasive species in 2016.
To qualify in the statewide program, participants must remove 50 or more lionfish between Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day (May 14, 2016) and the end of September. Qualified participants will receive a commemorative coin to mark their membership and an event T-shirt; be featured in the FWC Lionfish Hall of Fame on the MyFWC.com website; be entered in drawings to win prizes including fishing licenses, lionfish harvesting equipment, fuel cards and dive tank refills; and, if qualified before the relevant fishing seasons start, they will have the opportunity to take an additional spiny lobster per day during the 2016 mini-season (July 27-28). FWC will also consider allowing the opportunity to harvest an additional bag limit per day of bay scallops during Labor Day weekend (Sept. 3-5, 2016), where population can support harvest.
Qualifying lionfish must be counted via an FWC approved process such as a sponsored tournament or a check-in location. These locations will be listed online at MyFWC.com/Lionfish. All other fishing regulations still apply.
The person who “checks in” the most lionfish between the Lionfish Removal and Awareness Day kick-off and the end of September will be crowned Florida’s Lionfish King or Queen and will receive a lifetime saltwater fishing license, have his or her photograph featured on the cover of the FWC’s January 2017 saltwater regulations publication, be featured on MyFWC.com’s Lionfish Hall of Fame, and be recognized at the November 2016 Commission meeting.
Atlantic Grouper Season Reopens May 1
Get those rods and reels ready—grouper season in the Atlantic region reopens May 1. Know the minimum size and daily bag limits before you go. Accessible online at www.myfwc.com.
| Groupers | Min. Size Limit | Daily Bag Limit | Open Season |
| Aggregate bag limit | 3 per person | ||
| Goliath/Nassau | Harvest prohibited | ||
| Gag | 24” TL | 1 Gag or Black within the 3 grouper aggregate | Open May 1-Dec. 31 |
| Black | |||
| Red | 20″ TL | Up to 3 per person within 3 grouper aggregate | |
| Scamp | |||
| Yellowfin | |||
| Yellowmouth | |||
| Rock Hind/Red Hind | None | ||
| Coney/Graysby | |||
| Tiger | State: Up to 3 per person within 3 grouper aggregate Federal: None | State: Open May 1 – Dec. 31 Federal: Open year-round | |
| Yellowedge/Misty | Up to 3 per person within 3 grouper aggregate | ||
| Warsaw/Speckled Hind | Harvest prohibited | ||
| Snowy | None | State: 1 per person within the 3 grouper aggregate; Federal: 1 per vessel per day within the 3 grouper aggregate | State: Open year-round Federal: Open May 1 – Aug. 31 |
| Reef fish as bait | must have heads and fins intact through landing | ||
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