FWC Regulations : Evolution of Each Regulation : Spanish Mackerel :

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective November 28, 1985)

· Prohibits use of power roller gill net rigs for harvesting Spanish mackerel off Dade and Palm Beach counties (Broward County is already closed to net fishing)

· Establishes a minimum gill net mesh size of 3½ inches stretched mesh on the east coast of Florida November 15 through March 15, with a 15% by weight tolerance on Spanish mackerel caught in other nets while fishing for different species (minimum mesh size applies only to monofilament portion of net until October 1, 1990, at which time entire net rigging will be included)

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective October 30, 1986)

· Recreational daily bag limit: 4 per person

Commercial fishing restrictions:

· Open fishing season for vessels greater than 40 feet in length, using power-assisted gill net gear, is December 15 - October 31

· Net fishing prohibited on weekends

· Minimum mesh sizes for gill nets, stretched mesh: East coast - 3½ inches; Southwest coast 3 3/8 inches; Northwest coast - 3 inches

NOTE: After October 1, 1988, 3 5/8 inches will apply to all areas. Minimum mesh sizes apply to monofilament portion of net only until October 1, 1990.

· Season commercial catch limits: East coast - 1,869,000 lbs.; Southwest coast - 1,501,000 lbs.; Northwest coast - 346,000 lbs.

NOTE: These rules include certain bycatch allowances and exclusions.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective December 10, 1987)

· Continues same quotas and bag limits above

· Changes fishing season on Gulf coast to July 1 - June 30 each year (fishing season on Atlantic coast remains November 1 - October 31)

· Designates Spanish mackerel as "restricted species"

· The length of vessels, to which the prescribed season for power-assisted gill net gear on the East coast is applicable, is lowered from 40 to 36 documented feet

· Allows weekend commercial net fishing on the Southwest and Northwest coasts after 90% of quota is reached

SPANISH MACKEREL - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER88-1, F.A.C. (Effective April 12, 1988 - July 11, 1988)

Eliminates 4 inch net mesh bycatch exception during season closures for commercial harvesters statewide.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective October 1, 1988)

· Sets season commercial catch limits as follows: East coast - 2.055 million lbs.; Southwest coast - 2.09 million lbs.; Northwest coast - 435,000 lbs.

NOTE: Large scale commercial fishery closes when quota is met or adjacent federal waters close to commercial harvest, whichever comes first.

· Recreational bag limit of 4 fish daily per person applies as a possession limit regardless of where fish is caught

· Sets statewide minimum gill net mesh size at 3½ inches stretched mesh

· Removes all bycatch exceptions except allowance for up to 500 lbs. caught as bycatch of other lawfully harvested species

· Delays opening of East coast large scale fishery to January 15

· Eliminates distinction between large and small boats and replaces it with daily limits of 1,500 lbs. at certain times and conditions

· Requires that Spanish mackerel be landed with heads and tails intact

SPANISH MACKEREL - Emergency Rule, CH 46ER89-2, F.A.C. (Effective May 12, 1989 - June 30, 1989)

Increases the allowed daily vessel limit from 500 to 1,500 pounds until the new season begins July 1, 1989.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective November 1, 1989)

Sets season commercial catch limits as follows:

· East Coast: A 1,500 pound daily vessel and landing limit applies April 1 - November 30, then unlimited harvest is allowed from December 1 until 2.34 million pounds are harvested, then a 1,500 pound daily vessel and landing limit applies until 2.6 million pounds are harvested, then a 500 pound daily vessel and landing limit applies through March 31

· Southwest Coast: Unlimited harvest is allowed from July 1 until 1.87 million pounds are harvested, then a 1,500 pound daily vessel and landing limit applies until 2.2 million pounds are harvested, then a 500 pound daily vessel and landing limit applies through June 30

· Northwest Coast: Unlimited harvest is allowed from July 1 until 360,000 pounds are harvested, then a 1,500 pound daily vessel limit applies until 400,000 pounds are harvested, then a 500 pound daily vessel limit applies through June 30

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective October 1, 1990)

Sets daily commercial vessel and landing limits annually as follows:

· East Coast: 1,500 pounds from April 1 - November 30, then unlimited harvest is allowed until 50% of the quota is projected to be harvested, then 10,000 pounds until 75% of the quota is projected to be harvested, then 1,500 pounds until the total quota is reached, then 500 pounds until March 31

· Southwest Coast: Unlimited harvest allowed from April 1 until 85% of the quota is projected to be harvested, then 1,500 pounds until the total quota is reached, then 500 pounds until March 31

· Northwest Coast: Unlimited harvested allowed from April 1 until 90% of the quota is projected to be harvested, then 1,500 pounds until the total quota is reached, then 500 pounds until March 31

· Commercial landing limits will be set at 500 pounds daily in any zone whenever federal waters are closed in that zone

· Establishes a more efficient mechanism to allow the MFC to annually adjust commercial harvest limits and recreational bag and possession limits

· Increases the recreational daily bag and off-the-water possession limits from 4 to 5 fish per person, effective January 1, 1991

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective November 26, 1992)

Increases the recreational bag limit from five to ten per person daily in state waters and in adjacent federal waters effective January 1, 1993. The rule also changes the management of the commercial quota on the state's east coast by:

· Setting a daily commercial vessel limit of 1,500 pounds from April 1 through November 30 each year

· Allowing unlimited commercial harvest beginning December 1 on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays and setting daily commercial vessel limits of 1,500 pounds on Tuesdays and Thursdays and 500 pounds on Saturdays and Sundays until 80 percent of the federal quota is reached

· Setting a daily commercial vessel limit of 1,000 pounds until the remainder of the federal quota is reached and then setting a 500 pound daily commercial vessel limit through March 31

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective February 16, 1993)

Removes the prohibition of the use of nets on weekends on the state's west coast.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective November 29, 1993)

Removes daily vessel limit season segments on the state's Gulf coast, and instead allows unlimited commercial harvest of Spanish mackerel until the federal quota is met in the West Coast Region. A 500 pound daily vessel limit applies the remainder of the season in the West Coast Region. In the East Coast Region, the rule limits all nets in the directed Spanish mackerel fishery to a depth of 120 meshes during the 1,500, 1,000, and 500 pound season segments, and allows the transfer of Spanish mackerel between vessels at sea under the following conditions:

· Must take place outside the Colregs Demarcation line only

· All nets aboard vessels must have a stretched mesh of at least 3½ inches and have a depth of no greater than 120 meshes

· A legal daily vessel limit may be removed from a net and be isolated on board

· All fish exceeding a legal possession limit must remain entangled in meshes of the net until another boat legally licensed to harvest Spanish mackerel is within a specified distance (e.g., 50 yards) and is prepared to receive a daily vessel limit - fish must then be removed from the net and directly transferred or be put in a container for transfer to the vessel

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective February 14, 1994)

Deletes provisions regarding annual bag limit and quota adjustments.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective December 2, 1996)

For the Atlantic Group Spanish mackerel fishery - changes the unlimited harvest season to begin November 1 each year, raises the weekend daily commercial harvest limit to 1,500 pounds, and establishes a 1,500 pounds daily commercial harvest limit for all days after 75% of the quota has been reached.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective January 1, 1998)

Establishes a daily 500 pound trip limit for the commercial harvest of Spanish mackerel after the close of the 1,500 pound harvest season segment through March 31 each year.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 46-23, F.A.C. (Effective June 1, 1999)

Reestablishes the 12 inches minimum size limit.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 68B-23, F.A.C. (Effective July 1, 2000)

Raises the recreational daily bag limit to 15 fish per person.

SPANISH MACKEREL, CH 68B-23, F.A.C. (Effective January 1, 2001)

Establishes a 3,500-pound daily commercial vessel trip limit on weekdays for Spanish mackerel harvested in Atlantic state waters during the unlimited harvest phase in adjacent Atlantic federal waters.