There is created a special recreational crawfish license, to be issued to qualified persons as provided by this section for the recreational harvest of crawfish (spiny lobster) beginning August 5, 1994.

(1) The special recreational crawfish license shall be available to any individual crawfish trap number holder who also possesses a saltwater products license during the 1993-1994 license year. For the 1994-1995 license year and for each license year thereafter, a person issued a special recreational crawfish license may not also possess a trap number.

(2) Beginning August 5, 1994, the special recreational crawfish license is required in order to harvest crawfish from state territorial waters in quantities in excess of the regular recreational bag limit but not in excess of a special bag limit to be established by the Marine Fisheries Commission for these harvesters before the 1994-1995 license year. Such special bag limit does not apply during the 2-day sport season established by the commission.

(3) The holder of a special recreational crawfish license must also possess the recreational crawfish stamp required by s. 370.14(11) and the license required by s. 370.0605.

(4) As a condition precedent to the issuance of a special recreational crawfish license, the applicant must agree to file quarterly reports with the Division of Marine Resources of the Department of Environmental Protection, in such form as the division requires, detailing the amount of the licenseholder's crawfish (spiny lobster) harvest in the previous quarter, including the harvest of other recreational harvesters aboard the licenseholder's vessel.

(5) The Department of Environmental Protection shall issue special recreational crawfish licenses beginning in 1994 for the 1994-1995 license year. The fee for each such license is $100 per year. Each license issued in 1994 for the 1994-1995 license year must be renewed by June 30 of each subsequent year by the initial individual holder thereof. Noncompliance with the reporting requirement in subsection (4) or with the special recreational bag limit established under subsection (6) constitutes grounds for which the department may refuse to renew the license for a subsequent license year. The number of such licenses outstanding in any one license year may not exceed the number issued for the 1994-1995 license year. A license is not transferable by any method. Licenses that are not renewed expire and may be reissued by the department beginning in the 1995-1996 license year to new applicants otherwise qualified under this section.

(6) To promote conservation of the spiny lobster (crawfish) resource, consistent with equitable distribution and availability of the resource, the Marine Fisheries Commission shall establish a spiny lobster management plan incorporating the special recreational crawfish license, including, but not limited to, the establishment of a special recreational bag limit for the holders of such license as required by subsection (2). Such special recreational bag limit must not be less than twice the higher of the daily recreational bag limits.

(7) The proceeds of the fees collected under this section must be deposited as follows:

(a) Thirty-five percent must be deposited into the Marine Biological Research Trust Fund for research and the development of reliable recreational catch statistics for the crawfish (spiny lobster) fishery.

(b) Forty-five percent must be deposited into the Motorboat Revolving Trust Fund to be used by the Department of Environmental Protection for administration and enforcement of this section.

(c) Twenty percent must be deposited in the Marine Fisheries Commission Trust Fund to be used for the purposes of this section.

(8) The Department of Environmental Protection may adopt rules to carry out the purpose and intent of the special recreational lobster license program. History: ss. 7, 8, ch. 93-223; s. 216, ch. 94-356.