Post by james on Oct 22, 2012 9:08:56 GMT -5
I've fished the Tampa Bay area all my life & I learned something new this past weekend after speaking with a FWC officer at the boat ramp.
We went out fishing, got a ton of legal size fish, brought them to Don's Dock to filet, hopped back on boat to boat ramp. The FWC Officer said that this was not allowed and actually a misdemeanor. He was nice enough to give us a warning & then emailed to me the actual Florida Administrative Codes that apply to this law. I've posted them below.
All fish harvested from Florida or adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters pursuant to the requirements of this chapter shall be landed in a whole condition. The possession, while in or on state waters, on any public or private fishing pier, on a bridge or catwalk attached to a bridge from which fishing is allowed, or on any jetty, of such fish that have been deheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, scaled or deboned is prohibited. Mere evisceration or “gutting” of fish, or mere removal of gills from fish, before landing is not prohibited. Preparation of fish for immediate consumption on board the vessel from which the fish were caught is not prohibited.
We went out fishing, got a ton of legal size fish, brought them to Don's Dock to filet, hopped back on boat to boat ramp. The FWC Officer said that this was not allowed and actually a misdemeanor. He was nice enough to give us a warning & then emailed to me the actual Florida Administrative Codes that apply to this law. I've posted them below.
All fish harvested from Florida or adjacent federal Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) waters pursuant to the requirements of this chapter shall be landed in a whole condition. The possession, while in or on state waters, on any public or private fishing pier, on a bridge or catwalk attached to a bridge from which fishing is allowed, or on any jetty, of such fish that have been deheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, scaled or deboned is prohibited. Mere evisceration or “gutting” of fish, or mere removal of gills from fish, before landing is not prohibited. Preparation of fish for immediate consumption on board the vessel from which the fish were caught is not prohibited.