The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet at the Plantation Inn in Crystal River June 17-18. FWC meetings are open to public participation.

The agenda for Wednesday, June 17, includes updates from FWC staff. In 2008, the Commission directed staff to develop a new imperiled species listing process. Commissioners will hear an update on the project’s progress and provide further direction.

Staff members also will present an update on the manatee management plan, showcasing the significant management tasks that are completed or in progress. FWC Commissioners approved the plan in December 2007. The FWC’s Division of Law Enforcement also will provide a progress report on its work plan regarding manatee harassment from human interaction.

Commissioners will consider a final action on rules concerning taking and possession of wild freshwater turtles and regulations governing establishment and operation of game farms.

Final rules to regulate captive wildlife also are on the agenda for Wednesday’s session. Proposed rules cover permitting, caging and other requirements for Class I, II and III wildlife and establish requirements for operation of wildlife sanctuaries.

Wednesday’s agenda also includes consideration of a final peregrine falcon management plan and a rule to remove the peregrine falcon from Florida’s list of endangered species.

On Thursday, June 18, the Commission will address marine fisheries issues, including a final public hearing on a proposed rule that would change the recreational harvest season for red snapper in Gulf of Mexico state waters from June 1 through Sept. 30 to June 1 through Aug. 14. This is consistent with new federal regulations and is necessary because of recreational over-harvests of Gulf red snapper in 2008.

Another final public hearing will air proposed new rules for Gulf grouper to be generally consistent with new federal regulations. The rule proposal is to help reduce fishing pressure on Gulf grouper and improve fishing in the future. Proposed rules would decrease the daily recreational aggregate bag limit for grouper from five fish to four per person in Gulf state waters.

Another proposal would establish a Feb. 1 - March 31 closed spawning season for all recreational and commercial harvest of shallow-water groupers (gag, black, red, yellowfin, scamp, yellowmouth, rock hind and red hind) in Gulf state waters. The proposed closed season would extend a current one-month commercial closed season for red, gag and black grouper in Gulf state waters. The proposal would allow commercial fishermen to transport their legal grouper catches from federal waters through state waters during the closed season.

In addition, proposed grouper rules would reduce the commercial minimum-size limit for Gulf red grouper, and for all importation and sale of red grouper, from 20 inches to 18 inches total length.

In other marine fisheries action, the Commission will consider proposed draft rule amendments to clarify that it is unlawful to buy or sell snook taken within or without the state, except as provided in snook special activity license provisions; that no person may harvest or possess any snook taken within or without the state during closed seasons; that snook possessed on state waters, whether landed within or without state waters, must be in a whole condition; and that anglers may temporarily possess snook only to determine compliance with size requirements.

Commissioners also will consider draft rule amendments that would automatically allow use of new designs of bycatch-reduction and turtle-exclusion devices in shrimp trawls in state waters, when new designs are certified for use in adjacent federal waters, and make technical changes to turtle-excluder device rules. Two bycatch reduction devices currently allowed in state waters would continue to be legal.

In addition, the Commission will review and discuss a recent red drum stock assessment and management of the bonefish fishery, consider various federal fisheries management issues and, on Friday, June 19, the FWC will conduct a workshop to discuss state and federal marine fisheries management coordination.

The June 17-18 meeting will convene at 8:30 a.m. both days. The Plantation Inn is at 9301 West Fort Island Trail, Crystal River.

Anyone requiring special accommodations to participate in the meeting should advise the FWC at least five days prior to June 17 by contacting the FWC’s Office of Human Resources at 850-488-6411. If you are hearing- or speech-impaired, contact the FWC using the Florida Relay Service at 800-955-8771 (TDD) or 800-955-8770 (voice).

The full agenda is available online at MyFWC.com/COMMISSION/2009/Comm_09_AgendaJun.htm.