Florida Regulations 68B-57.003: Landed in Whole Condition Requirement and Exception
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(1) Landed in Whole Condition Requirement – Except as provided elsewhere in this rule, a person harvesting wahoo shall land each wahoo in whole condition. A person may not possess in or on Florida Waters a wahoo that has been beheaded, sliced, divided, filleted, ground, skinned, scaled, or deboned. This provision will not be construed to prohibit evisceration (gutting) of a wahoo, or removal of gills from a wahoo.
(2) Landed in Whole Condition Exception – Recreational anglers that lawfully harvest wahoo in waters of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are exempt from the requirement to land wahoo in whole condition under the following conditions:
(a) Skin must remain intact on the entire fillet of any wahoo carcass.
(b) A person or vessel that lawfully harvests wahoo in Bahamian waters and transits through Florida waters must comply with the bag and posession limits specified in 50 C.F.R. § 622.277 (as of January 27, 2016). Two fillets of wahoo, regardless of the length of each fillet, is equivalent to one fish.
(c) Valid Bahamian fishing and cruising permits are on board the vessel.
(d) Each person on the vessel has a valid government passport with current stamps and dates from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
(e) The vessel is in transit through state waters with fishing gear appropriately stowed. For the purpose of this rule, a vessel is in transit when it is on a direct and continuous course through state waters and no one aboard the vessel fishes in state waters. For the purpose of this rule, fishing gear appropriately stowed means that terminal gear (i.e., hook, leader, sinker, flasher, or bait) used with an automatic reel, bandit gear, buoy gear, handline, or rod and reel must be disconnected and stowed separately from such fishing gear. Sinkers must be disconnected from the down rigger and stowed separately.
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-1-13, Amended 9-13-16.
(2) Landed in Whole Condition Exception – Recreational anglers that lawfully harvest wahoo in waters of the Commonwealth of the Bahamas are exempt from the requirement to land wahoo in whole condition under the following conditions:
(a) Skin must remain intact on the entire fillet of any wahoo carcass.
(b) A person or vessel that lawfully harvests wahoo in Bahamian waters and transits through Florida waters must comply with the bag and posession limits specified in 50 C.F.R. § 622.277 (as of January 27, 2016). Two fillets of wahoo, regardless of the length of each fillet, is equivalent to one fish.
(c) Valid Bahamian fishing and cruising permits are on board the vessel.
(d) Each person on the vessel has a valid government passport with current stamps and dates from the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
(e) The vessel is in transit through state waters with fishing gear appropriately stowed. For the purpose of this rule, a vessel is in transit when it is on a direct and continuous course through state waters and no one aboard the vessel fishes in state waters. For the purpose of this rule, fishing gear appropriately stowed means that terminal gear (i.e., hook, leader, sinker, flasher, or bait) used with an automatic reel, bandit gear, buoy gear, handline, or rod and reel must be disconnected and stowed separately from such fishing gear. Sinkers must be disconnected from the down rigger and stowed separately.
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. History-New 9-1-13, Amended 9-13-16.