Nature Coast

Around the bay

By RODNEY PAGE, Times Staff Writer
Published September 22, 2007

FWC discusses key proposals, plans at meeting

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission met last week in St. Petersburg and made proposals and management plans. It approved management plans for bald eagles and gopher tortoises but delayed a vote on manatee management. A proposal was made about red snapper. New permanent federal gulf red snapper regulations that will replace the interim rules are expected to be finalized late this year and be implemented for the 2008 fishing season. The commission has proposed rules for gulf state waters that are consistent with the pending federal rules. These measures would reduce the daily recreational bag limit of gulf red snapper from four fish to two fish per person, establish a zero daily bag limit for captains and crew of gulf for-hire vessels and shorten the recreational fishing season for gulf red snapper to 107, 122 or 154 days, depending on the outcome of the federal rules. These proposed rules would reduce the minimum size of commercially harvested red snapper in the gulf and the minimum size of imported red snapper from 15 to 13 inches total length and reduce the daily commercial bag and trip limit of gulf red snapper from four fish to two fish per day. A final public hearing on these rule proposals will take place during the commission's February meeting in Panama City.

Nature center holding festival

The Chinsegut Nature Center near Brooksville will hold a reptile and amphibian festival from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 6. The free event features exhibits, walks, talks and demonstrations by experts throughout the day. Some of the demonstrations will involve venomous snakes, alligators and gopher tortoises. For information, call (352) 754-6722 or go to www.myfwc.com/chinsegut.

Outdoors writer earns recognition

Times Nature Coast writer David Brown received a Florida Outdoor Writers Association Excellence in Craft award for his newspaper article in spring 2006 on finding redfish. And he won third place for his series on fly fishing.

[Last modified September 21, 2007, 22:13:23]