HB 1591

1	A bill to be entitled
2	An act relating to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation
3	Commission; amending s. 370.025, F.S.; including fish and
4	wildlife in the declared management and preservation
5	policy of the state; conforming provisions relating to the
6	rulemaking powers of the commission; providing an
7	effective date.
8
9	Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
10
11	Section 1.  Subsections (1) and (3) of section 370.025,
12	Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
13	370.025  Commission Marine fisheries; policy and
14	standards.--
15	(1)  The Legislature hereby declares the policy of the
16	state to be management and preservation of its renewable fish
17	and wildlife marine fishery resources, based upon the best
18	available information, emphasizing protection and enhancement of
19	the marine and estuarine environment in such a manner as to
20	provide for optimum sustained benefits and use to all the people
21	of this state for present and future generations.
22	(3)  All rules relating to fish and wildlife saltwater
23	fisheries adopted by the commission shall be consistent with the
24	following standards:
25	(a)  The paramount concern of conservation and management
26	measures shall be the continuing health and abundance of the
27	fish and wildlife marine fisheries resources of this state.
28	(b)  Conservation and management measures shall be based
29	upon the best information available, including biological,
30	sociological, economic, and other information deemed relevant by
31	the commission.
32	(c)  Conservation and management measures shall permit
33	reasonable means and quantities of annual harvest, consistent
34	with maximum practicable sustainable stock abundance on a
35	continuing basis.
36	(d)  When possible and practicable, fish and wildlife
37	stocks of fish shall be managed as a biological unit.
38	(e)  Conservation and management measures shall assure
39	proper quality control of fish and wildlife marine resources
40	that enter commerce.
41	(f)  State fish and wildlife marine fishery management
42	plans shall be developed to implement management of important
43	fish and wildlife marine fishery resources.
44	(g)  Conservation and management decisions shall be fair
45	and equitable to all the people of this state and carried out in
46	such a manner that no individual, corporation, or entity
47	acquires an excessive share of such privileges.
48	(h)  Federal fish and wildlife fishery management plans and
49	fish and wildlife fishery management plans of other states or
50	interstate commissions should be considered when developing
51	state fish and wildlife marine fishery management plans.
52	Inconsistencies should be avoided unless it is determined that
53	it is in the best interest of the fish and wildlife fisheries or
54	residents of this state to be inconsistent.
55	Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.