OPPOSE THE INCREASE, SUPPORT THE DECREASE
April 14, 2022
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) is proposing to increase the recreational redfish bag limit from one fish to two fish per person in the Big Bend region stretching from Wakulla County to Pasco County.
In 2011, the FWC increased the bag limit in the Northwest region which included the same area but stretched to Escambia County. In 2016, the FWC directed staff to implement an Executive Order reducing the daily bag limit for red drum in the Northwest management zone from two fish per person back to one fish. Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) Florida opposes the increase and asks that you contact the FWC at marine@myfwc.com and tell them to leave the bag limit at one redfish per person.
CCA Florida would also like to commend the FWC in their other management efforts with redfish. The FWC is proposing to:
- Modify the redfish management regions
- Prohibit captain and crew from retaining a bag limit when on a for-hire trip
- Reduce the off-the-water transport limit from 6 to 4 fish per person
- Reduce the 8-fish vessel limit in each of the proposed management regions:
- Panhandle, Big Bend, Northeast: 4 fish and Tampa Bay, Sarasota Bay, Charlotte Harbor, Southwest, Southeast: 2 fish
- Only allow catch-and-release fishing for redfish in the Indian River Lagoon
The FWC staff will introduce the proposed rule at its May meeting. We encourage our members to submit comments by May 3 and attend the meeting in-person on May 4 in Gainesville, Fla.
To read the proposed rule in its entirety, please click here.
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