Florida Will Expand Permit Protections

At the same meeting where bonefish were finally given “catch-and-release-only” status, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Commission also said it would put more restrictions on the taking of permit. As Timothy O’Hara reports in the Key West Citizen, under the proposed rule changes, south Florida commercial fisherman will not be able to possess or sell permit. The new rules would also extend into federal waters.

“It also would create a Special Permit Zone off South Florida, from south of Cape Ramano on the west coast and south of Key Biscayne on the east coast. The minimum size limit for keepers caught in the zone would be 22 inches fork-length, and the daily bag limit would be one permit per person and two per vessel.”