House Bill hb0081
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 81
By Representative Garcia
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to recreational shark feeding;
3 creating s. 370.0815, F.S.; providing
4 definitions; prohibiting recreational shark
5 feeding within the salt waters of the state;
6 prohibiting the operation of a vessel for hire
7 for the purpose of transporting passengers to
8 engage in or observe recreational shark
9 feeding; providing a penalty; providing an
10 effective date.
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12 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
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14 Section 1. Section 370.0815, Florida Statutes, is
15 created to read:
16 370.0815 Recreational shark feeding unlawful;
17 transporting passengers to engage in or observe recreational
18 shark feeding unlawful; penalty.--
19 (1) For the purposes of this section, the following
20 terms shall have the following meanings:
21 (a) "Chum" means any form of cut or ground bait,
22 discarded fish refuse or scraps, fresh fish, raw fish, fish
23 product, frozen bait, fish wastes, or unwanted bycatch dumped
24 or introduced into the water for the purpose of attracting
25 sharks.
26 (b) "Diver" means any person who is wholly or
27 partially submerged in the water, and is equipped with a face
28 mask, face mask and snorkel, or underwater breathing
29 apparatus.
30 (c) "Recreational shark feeding" means the
31 introduction of any food, chum, or other substance or object,
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 81
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1 including any sound transmitter, into the water by a person or
2 diver for the purpose of feeding, enticing, or attracting
3 sharks, except for the purpose of harvesting such marine life
4 as otherwise allowed by rules of the Fish and Wildlife
5 Conservation Commission.
6 (d) "Shark" means any of the following species:
7 1. Large coastal species:
8 a. Great hammerhead (Sphyrna mokarran).
9 b. Scalloped hammerhead (Sphyrna lewini).
10 c. Smooth hammerhead (Sphyrna zygaena).
11 d. White shark (Carcharodon carcharias).
12 e. Nurse shark (Ginglymostoma cirratum).
13 f. Bignose shark (Carcharhinus altimus).
14 g. Blacktip shark (Carcharhinus limbatus).
15 h. Bull shark (Carcharhinus leucas).
16 i. Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi).
17 j. Dusky shark (Carcharhinus obscurus).
18 k. Galapagos shark (Carcharhinus galapagensis).
19 l. Lemon shark (Negaprion brevirostris).
20 m. Narrowtooth shark (Carcharhinus brachyurus).
21 n. Night shark (Carcharhinus signatus).
22 o. Sandbar shark (Carcharhinus plumbeus).
23 p. Silky shark (Carcharhinus falciformis).
24 q. Spinner shark (Carcharhinus brevipinna).
25 r. Tiger shark (Galeocerdo cuvieri).
26 s. Bigeye sand tiger (Odontaspis noronhai).
27 t. Sand tiger shark (Odontaspis taurus).
28 2. Small coastal species:
29 a. Atlantic angel shark (Squatina dumerili).
30 b. Bonnethead (Sphyrna tiburo).
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 81
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1 c. Atlantic sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon
2 terraenovae).
3 d. Blacknose shark (Carcharhinus acronotus).
4 e. Caribbean sharpnose shark (Rhizoprionodon porosus).
5 f. Finetooth shark (Carcharhinus isodon).
6 g. Smalltail shark (Carcharhinus porosus).
7 3. Pelagic species:
8 a. Bigeye sixgill shark (Hexanchus vitulus).
9 b. Sevengill shark (Heptranchias perlo).
10 c. Sixgill shark (Hexanchus griseus).
11 d. Longfin mako (Isurus paucus).
12 e. Porbeagle shark (Lamna nasus).
13 f. Shortfin mako (Isurus oxyrinchus).
14 g. Blue shark (Prionace glauca).
15 h. Oceanic whitetip shark (Carcharhinus longimanus).
16 i. Bigeye thresher (Alopias superciliosus).
17 j. Thresher shark (Alopias vulpinus).
18 (e) "Sound transmitter" means any object or device,
19 whether electronic, mechanical, or otherwise, which emits or
20 transmits a signal which can be used for the purpose of
21 attracting or enticing sharks.
22 (2) No person or diver shall intentionally engage in
23 the practice of recreational shark feeding within the salt
24 waters of the state. However, the provisions of this section
25 shall not apply to Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
26 personnel or persons licensed or authorized by the commission.
27 (3) No person shall operate any vessel for hire for
28 the purpose of transporting passengers or divers to any site
29 in the salt waters of the state to engage in recreational
30 shark feeding or to allow such passengers to observe
31 recreational shark feeding.
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Florida House of Representatives - 2002 HB 81
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1 (4) Any person who violates this section commits a
2 misdemeanor of the second degree, punishable as provided in s.
3 775.082 or s. 775.083.
4 Section 2. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
5 law.
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7 *****************************************
8 HOUSE SUMMARY
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Prohibits recreational shark feeding within the salt
10 waters of the state. Prohibits the operation of a vessel
for hire for the purpose of transporting passengers to
11 engage in or observe recreational shark feeding. Defines
terms for purposes of the act. Provides a second degree
12 misdemeanor penalty for violation.
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