| 1 | The Committee on Natural Resources recommends the following: |
| 2 |
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| 3 | Committee Substitute |
| 4 | Remove the entire bill and insert: |
| 5 | A bill to be entitled |
| 6 | An act relating to marine fisheries; amending s. 370.14, |
| 7 | F.S.; requiring certain persons to obtain and exhibit a |
| 8 | crawfish trap number for certain purposes; providing a |
| 9 | fee; specifying use of a portion of the fee; requiring a |
| 10 | fee for spiny lobster harvesting; correcting a reference; |
| 11 | amending s. 370.143, F.S.; including crawfish traps under |
| 12 | a Fish and Wildlife Commission trap retrieval program; |
| 13 | including crawfish traps under a commission authorization |
| 14 | to waive certain trap retrieval fees under certain |
| 15 | circumstances; providing an 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 annual 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 the a fee of $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. Persons not using traps to |
| 39 | commercially harvest spiny lobster shall pay an annual fee of |
| 40 | $100. |
| 41 | (b) Twenty-five dollars of the $125 fee for a crawfish |
| 42 | trap number required under paragraph (a) must be used solely for |
| 43 | trap retrieval as provided under s. 370.143. The remainder of |
| 44 | the fees collected pursuant to paragraph (a) shall be deposited |
| 45 | as follows: |
| 46 | 1. Fifty percent of the fees collected shall be deposited |
| 47 | in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund for use in |
| 48 | enforcing the provisions of paragraph (a) through aerial and |
| 49 | other surveillance and trap retrieval. |
| 50 | 2. Fifty percent of the fees collected shall be deposited |
| 51 | as provided in s. 370.142(5)(6). |
| 52 | (6) A person who takes more crawfish per boat or per |
| 53 | person than that number set therefor by rule of the Fish and |
| 54 | Wildlife Conservation Commission for recreational harvesters |
| 55 | within any 24-hour period by any method other than with traps or |
| 56 | similar devices must also pay a fee of $100 and obtain a trap |
| 57 | number to be displayed on his or her boat. |
| 58 | Section 2. Subsections (1) and (2) of section 370.143, |
| 59 | Florida Statutes, are amended to read: |
| 60 | 370.143 Retrieval of lobster, crawfish, and stone crab |
| 61 | traps during closed season; commission authority; fees.-- |
| 62 | (1) The Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission is |
| 63 | authorized to implement a trap retrieval program for retrieval |
| 64 | of lobster, crawfish, and stone crab traps remaining in the |
| 65 | water during the closed season for each species. The commission |
| 66 | is authorized to contract with outside agents for the program |
| 67 | operation. |
| 68 | (2) A retrieval fee of $10 per trap retrieved shall be |
| 69 | assessed trap owners. However, for persons holding a crawfish |
| 70 | endorsement or a stone crab endorsement issued under rule of the |
| 71 | Fish and Wildlife Conservation commission, the retrieval fee |
| 72 | shall be waived for the first five traps retrieved per |
| 73 | endorsement issued. Traps recovered under this program shall |
| 74 | become the property of the commission or its contract agent, as |
| 75 | determined by the commission, and shall be either destroyed or |
| 76 | resold to the original owner. Revenue from retrieval fees shall |
| 77 | be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund and |
| 78 | used solely for operation of the trap retrieval program. |
| 79 | Section 3. This act shall take effect upon becoming a law. |