¹370.156 Florida East Coast Shrimp Bed; closed areas.--

1. (1) It is the intention of the Legislature that action should be taken to conserve the supply of shrimp in the large shrimp beds that exist from the Florida-Georgia boundary to the southern boundary of St. Lucie County, in both the inland and the coastal territorial waters. This area shall hereinafter be referred to as the "Florida East Coast Shrimp Bed." It is further the sense of this Legislature that the shrimp industry is a valuable component of the state's economy and deserves adequate protection.
2. (2) The Florida East Coast Shrimp Bed is defined as: All of the inside and outside waters within the territorial limits of the State of Florida, lying and being within Nassau, Duval, Clay, Putnam, St. Johns, Flagler, Volusia, Seminole, Brevard, Indian River, and St. Lucie Counties as defined in chapter 7.

3. (3) No power trawling for dead shrimp shall be permitted in the Florida East Coast Shrimp Bed between April 1 and June 1 of each year. Only trawling for live bait is allowed in the Florida East Coast Shrimp Bed between April 1 and June 1 of each year.

   ¹Note.--Section 8, ch. 83-134, as amended by s. 2, ch. 84-121, and by s. 1, ch. 85-163, repealed the then-existing section, effective July 1, 1986, and further provided that if the Governor and Cabinet had not adopted appropriate rules by July 1, 1986, it would remain in force until such rules were effective. Section 9, ch. 83-134, provided that, prior to the adoption of rules amending, readopting, or repealing those provisions set forth in s. 8, the Marine Fisheries Commission would hold a public hearing thereon, and no such amendment, readoption, or repeal would be acted upon until it had been determined, based upon appropriate findings of fact, that such action would not adversely affect the resource.

History.--s. 3, ch. 74-140; s. 8, ch. 83-134; s. 2, ch. 84-121; s. 1, ch. 85-163; ss. 16, 17, ch. 85-234; s. 15, ch. 86-240.