| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to marine fisheries; amending s. 370.14, |
| 3 | F.S.; requiring certain persons to obtain and exhibit a |
| 4 | crawfish trap number for certain purposes; providing a |
| 5 | fee; specifying use of a portion of the fee; correcting a |
| 6 | reference; amending s. 370.143, F.S.; including crawfish |
| 7 | traps under a Fish and Wildlife Commission trap retrieval |
| 8 | program; including crawfish traps under a commission |
| 9 | authorization to waive certain trap retrieval fees under |
| 10 | certain circumstances; amending s. 372.57, F.S.; providing |
| 11 | a fee for certain freshwater fishing licenses for |
| 12 | nonresidents; increasing fees for certain fishing licenses |
| 13 | for nonresidents; amending ss. 372.571 and 372.661, F.S.; |
| 14 | correcting cross references, to conform; providing an |
| 15 | effective date. |
| 16 |
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| 17 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 18 |
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| 19 | Section 1. Subsections (2) and (6) of section 370.14, |
| 20 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 21 | 370.14 Crawfish; regulation.-- |
| 22 | (2)(a) Each person trap used for taking or attempting to |
| 23 | take crawfish with must have a trap in commercial quantities or |
| 24 | for commercial purposes shall obtain and exhibit a crawfish trap |
| 25 | number, as required by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation |
| 26 | Commission. The fee for a crawfish trap number is $125 |
| 27 | permanently attached to the trap and the buoy. This trap number |
| 28 | may be issued by the Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission |
| 29 | upon the receipt of application by the person when owner of the |
| 30 | traps and accompanied by the payment of a fee of $125 $100. The |
| 31 | design of the application applications and of the trap number |
| 32 | shall be determined by the commission. Any trap or device used |
| 33 | in taking or attempting to take crawfish, other than a trap with |
| 34 | the trap number attached as prescribed in this paragraph, shall |
| 35 | be seized and destroyed by the commission. The proceeds of the |
| 36 | fees imposed by this paragraph shall be deposited and used as |
| 37 | provided in paragraph (b). The commission may adopt rules to |
| 38 | carry out the intent of this section. |
| 39 | (b) Twenty-five dollars of the $125 fee for a crawfish |
| 40 | trap number required under paragraph (a) and subsection (6) must |
| 41 | be used solely for trap retrieval as provided under s. 370.143. |
| 42 | The remainder of the fees collected pursuant to paragraph (a) |
| 43 | shall be deposited as follows: |
| 44 | 1. Fifty percent of the fees collected shall be deposited |
| 45 | in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund for use in |
| 46 | enforcing the provisions of paragraph (a) through aerial and |
| 47 | other surveillance and trap retrieval. |
| 48 | 2. Fifty percent of the fees collected shall be deposited |
| 49 | as provided in s. 370.142(5)(6). |
| 50 | (6) A person who takes more crawfish per boat or per |
| 51 | person than that number set therefor by rule of the Fish and |
| 52 | Wildlife Conservation Commission for recreational harvesters |
| 53 | within any 24-hour period by any method other than with traps or |
| 54 | similar devices must also pay a fee of $125 $100 and obtain a |
| 55 | trap number to be displayed on his or her boat. |
| 56 | Section 2. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 370.143, |
| 57 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 58 | 370.143 Retrieval of lobster, crawfish, and stone crab |
| 59 | traps during closed season; commission authority; fees.-- |
| 60 | (1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is |
| 61 | authorized to implement a trap retrieval program for retrieval |
| 62 | of lobster, crawfish, and stone crab traps remaining in the |
| 63 | water during the closed season for each species. The commission |
| 64 | is authorized to contract with outside agents for the program |
| 65 | operation. |
| 66 | (2) A retrieval fee of $10 per trap retrieved shall be |
| 67 | assessed trap owners. However, for persons holding a crawfish |
| 68 | trap number or a stone crab endorsement issued under rule of the |
| 69 | Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, the retrieval fee |
| 70 | shall be waived for the first five traps retrieved per such |
| 71 | number or endorsement. Traps recovered under this program shall |
| 72 | become the property of the commission or its contract agent, as |
| 73 | determined by the commission, and shall be either destroyed or |
| 74 | resold to the original owner. Revenue from retrieval fees shall |
| 75 | be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund and |
| 76 | used solely for operation of the trap retrieval program. |
| 77 | Section 3. Subsection (5) of section 372.57, Florida |
| 78 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 79 | 372.57 Recreational licenses, permits, and authorization |
| 80 | numbers; fees established.-- |
| 81 | (5) NONRESIDENT HUNTING AND FISHING LICENSES.--The |
| 82 | licenses and fees for nonresidents participating in hunting and |
| 83 | fishing activities in the state are as follows: |
| 84 | (a) Freshwater fishing license to take freshwater fish for |
| 85 | 3 consecutive days, $15. |
| 86 | (b)(a) Freshwater fishing license to take freshwater fish |
| 87 | for 7 consecutive days, $24 $15. |
| 88 | (c)(b) Saltwater fishing license to take saltwater fish |
| 89 | for 3 consecutive days, $15 $5. |
| 90 | (d)(c) Saltwater fishing license to take saltwater fish |
| 91 | for 7 consecutive days, $24 $15. |
| 92 | (e)(d) Annual freshwater fishing license, $36 $30. |
| 93 | (f)(e) Annual saltwater fishing license, $36 $30. |
| 94 | (g)(f) Hunting license to take game for 10 consecutive |
| 95 | days, $45. |
| 96 | (h)(g) Annual hunting license to take game, $150. |
| 97 | (i)(h) Annual license to take fur-bearing animals, $25. |
| 98 | However, a nonresident with a valid Florida hunting license who |
| 99 | is taking fur-bearing animals for noncommercial purposes using |
| 100 | guns or dogs only, and not traps or other devices, is not |
| 101 | required to purchase this license. |
| 102 | Section 4. Section 372.571, Florida Statutes, is amended |
| 103 | to read: |
| 104 | 372.571 Expiration of licenses and permits.--Each license |
| 105 | or permit issued under this chapter must be dated when issued. |
| 106 | Each license or permit issued under this chapter remains valid |
| 107 | for 12 months after the date of issuance, except for a lifetime |
| 108 | license issued pursuant to s. 372.57 which is valid from the |
| 109 | date of issuance until the death of the individual to whom the |
| 110 | license is issued unless otherwise revoked in accordance with s. |
| 111 | 372.99, or a 5-year license issued pursuant to s. 372.57 which |
| 112 | is valid for 5 consecutive years from the date of purchase |
| 113 | unless otherwise revoked in accordance with s. 372.99, or a |
| 114 | license issued pursuant to s. 372.57(5)(a), (b), (c), (d), or |
| 115 | (g)(f) or (8)(g) or (h)2., which is valid for the period |
| 116 | specified on the license. A resident lifetime license or a |
| 117 | resident 5-year license that has been purchased by a resident of |
| 118 | this state and who subsequently resides in another state shall |
| 119 | be honored for activities authorized by that license. |
| 120 | Section 5. Subsection (2) of section 372.661, Florida |
| 121 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 122 | 372.661 Private hunting preserve license fees; |
| 123 | exception.-- |
| 124 | (2) A commercial hunting preserve license, which shall |
| 125 | exempt patrons of licensed preserves from the license and permit |
| 126 | requirements of s. 372.57(4)(c), (d), (f), (h), and (i); |
| 127 | (5)(g)(f) and (h)(g); (8)(a), (b), (e), and (f); (9)(a)2.; (11); |
| 128 | and (12) while hunting on the licensed preserve property, shall |
| 129 | be $500. Such commercial hunting preserve license shall be |
| 130 | available only to those private hunting preserves licensed |
| 131 | pursuant to this section which are operated exclusively for |
| 132 | commercial purposes, which are open to the public, and for which |
| 133 | a uniform fee is charged to patrons for hunting privileges. |
| 134 | Section 6. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |