Management of red drum in Florida has been labeled by FWC as a success story. In the late 1980s red drum were determined to be overfished and several emergency closures were established to reduce fishing pressure. In 1989, the slot limit of 18-27 inches, the bag limit of 1 per person, and a closed season from March-May were put in place. Since then, the only major regulation change has been the elimination of the closed season.
Florida's escapement goal for red drum was raised from 30 to 40% in 2007 largely because of stakeholder input that called for managing the fishery for an abundance of larger fish. According to FWC, red drum stocks have rebounded significantly and are currently meeting or exceeding the FWC's management goal of 40% escapement in most parts of Florida. Escapement is the proportion of fish that survive through age four relative to the fish that would have survived if there was no fishery.
Action taken by the FWC commissioners in 2012 established three management areas for red drum instead of three. Regulations for red drum will now reference one of the three constructed areas as shown in the picture.
The following new regulations for red drum become effective February 1, 2012:
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Bag limit increase from 1 fish to 2 fish in the Northeast and Northwest regions
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Statewide vessel limit of 8 red drum
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Off-water possession limit removed
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Bag limits apply to the land in the area adjacent to the fishing site
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Transport possession limit of 6 per person
For more information on red drum visit MyFWC.com and click on saltwater fishing.
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