Recreational harvest of red grouper in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico, excluding Monroe County, will close on July 1 and remain closed through December 31, 2024. This closure follows an executive order issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) during the May Commission meeting. The measure aims to prevent overfishing and ensure future fishing opportunities. The closure aligns with similar restrictions in Gulf federal waters.
Earlier this week, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) TrophyCatch program announced that the first pink-tagged bass of the season was caught and released by an angler fishing in Lake Rochelle.
The recreational harvest of snowy grouper and red porgy in state waters of the Atlantic will close on July 1, with the last day of harvest for both species being June 30. Recreational harvest of snowy grouper will also close in all state waters of Monroe County. Harvest will reopen for both snowy grouper and red porgy in Atlantic state waters on May 1, 2025.
The 2024 recreational bay scallop season, spanning from Franklin County through northwestern Taylor County (including Carrabelle, Lanark, and St. Marks) as well as portions of Levy County and all of Citrus and Hernando counties (including Cedar Key, Crystal River, and Homosassa), opens on July 1 and will remain open until September 24.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites the public to attend the J.W. Corbett Wildlife Management Area 10-year Land Management Plan public hearing on Wednesday, July 24. The hearing will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the Palm Beach County Vista Chambers, located at 2300 N Jog Road, West Palm Beach, FL, 33411.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has reintroduced its TrophyCatch pink tag contest, where biologists have tagged and released trophy-sized bass with bright pink tags across various locations in the state. The first bass captured in each pink tag location offers thousands of dollars in prizes.
Operation Dry Water is a year-round national effort to educate recreational boaters about the dangers of boating under the influence of alcohol or drugs. A heightened enforcement weekend from July 4-6 will see the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) and other law enforcement partners focusing efforts on Boating Under the Influence (BUI) detection and enforcement. The mission of Operation Dry Water is to reduce the number of alcohol- and drug-related incidents and fatalities on the water.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites the public to attend the Fisheating Creek Wildlife Management Area 10-year Land Management Plan public hearing on Tuesday, July 23. The hearing will take place at 6:30 p.m. at the Glades County Commission Chambers, Room 201, 500 Ave J SW, Moore Haven, Florida.
MARATHON, Fla.—Governor Ron DeSantis today underscored Florida’s commitment to coral reef conservation and announced updates to the 2024 Lionfish Challenge and Lobster Mini-Season. Through the FY 2024-2025 Focus on Florida’s Future Budget, the Governor allocated a historic $57 million for coral reef restoration and coastal protection, raising total investments in these areas during his second term to over $114 million.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is organizing regional workshops to inform local governments about opportunities to conserve gopher tortoises and other state-listed species in Florida. The aim of these workshops is to encourage local-level participation in gopher tortoise conservation by providing information that could help establish local protection policies. Additionally, the FWC will discuss how local policies can assist in conserving other state-listed species and will provide details on financial incentives available for habitat management.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will conduct an aerial treatment for aquatic plant control in portions of Lake Okeechobee during the week of June 17, weather permitting. The FWC aims to treat invasive Wright’s nutrush (Scleria lacustris) in areas where it exists in dense monocultures to limit ecological damage to the lake’s beneficial native plant communities.
Since the inception of The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) Vessel Turn-In Program in late 2022, the FWC has received 186 applications from owners of at-risk or unwanted vessels. The first two vessels removed through this program were taken from Pasco and Pinellas counties in early March 2023, and the 100th vessel was removed from Wakulla County on June 7.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has expressed its approval of Governor Ron DeSantis' commitment to conservation in the 2024-2025 Focus on Florida's Future Budget. Under Governor DeSantis' leadership, Florida continues to be a prime destination for fishing and hunting activities, which significantly contribute to the state's economy, generating nearly $15 billion.
The 2024 recreational bay scallop season in the Fenholloway – Suwannee River Zone will commence on June 15 and remain open through Labor Day, September 2. This area includes all state waters in Dixie County, a portion of Taylor County including Keaton Beach and Steinhatchee, and a portion of Levy County.
For the second consecutive year, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) officers participated in a joint operation organized and led by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Office of Law Enforcement. The operation aimed at protecting endangered sea turtles in and around the protected Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. In addition to the FWC, federal and state partners from NOAA’s Gear Monitoring Team and the U.S. Coast Guard joined the three-day operation. The goal was to enhance turtle excluder device (TED) inspections.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is seeking meat processors and taxidermists from select counties to help test for chronic wasting disease (CWD). Partners in this program play a critical role in helping the FWC determine how many CWD-positive deer are in Florida and how much the disease has spread throughout the state. Meat processors selected for this program will receive $20 for each deer head submitted for testing, and taxidermists will receive $30 for each sample taken and submitted for testing.
Lieutenant Governor Jeanette Nuñez announced today that registration for the 2024 Florida Python Challenge® is now open. Participants will have the opportunity to win a share of more than $25,000 in prizes for removing invasive Burmese pythons from the wild. Starting today, those interested can complete the required online training to compete in the 10-day competition, which runs from August 9–18, 2024. The competition is open to both professional and novice participants.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) hosted a license-free freshwater fishing weekend on June 8 and 9. The event aimed to encourage Florida residents and visitors of all ages and skill levels to participate in recreational fishing.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced the 2024 Lionfish Challenge, a summer-long lionfish tournament open to recreational and commercial competitors across Florida. Since its inception in 2016, the challenge has led to the removal of over 195,000 lionfish.