Section 68B-31.008 - Year-round Closed Areas(1) Northeast Region - (a) A person may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from any tributary of the following named waterbodies in Nassau and Duval counties. Shrimp harvest is allowed in each waterbody proper. 10. Tiger Creek and Tiger Basin, easterly of 81°30.133' West Longitude.11. North fork of Alligator Creek.(b) A food shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the inside waters of Volusia County.(2) Southeast Region -(a)1. A food shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from any waters within the area described in subparagraph 2. (a portion of Monroe County):2. Begin at a point located at 24°41.900'N, 81°40.500'W near Snipe Point in Monroe County; thence northwesterly approximately 9 nautical miles to a point located at 24°49.231'N, 81°46.318'W; thence proceed easterly and northerly along the Florida Waters boundary to a point located at 26°00.000'N, 81°56.500'W; thence east to a point located at 26°00.000'N, 81°44.100'W; thence southerly and easterly following the coastline to its intersection with the southbound right-of-way of the U.S. Highway 1 bridge in Long Sound (25°14.184'N, 80°26.016'W); thence southerly and westerly along the southbound right-of-way of U.S. Highway 1 to a point on Saddlebunch Key located at 24°37.100'N, 81°36.700'W; thence northwesterly on a straight line to the point of beginning.(b) Tortugas Shrimp Beds. 1. A food shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the Tortugas Shrimp Beds, except as may be specifically authorized by federal regulations for the portion of the area lying in federal waters.2. Within Florida Waters of the Tortugas Shrimp Beds, possession aboard a vessel of more than 5 gallons of dead shrimp, heads on or off, simultaneously with the deployment of any shrimp trawl from the vessel shall constitute a violation of this subsection.(3) Big Bend Region. A food shrimp producer or live bait shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the areas of Wakulla, Jefferson, Taylor, Dixie, Levy, Citrus, Hernando, and Pasco counties landward of the line described as: Beginning at Bailey's Bluff in Pasco County (Point A); thence northerly to Point B; thence northeasterly to Point C; thence northerly to Point D; thence northeasterly to Point E; thence northerly to Point F; thence northwesterly to Point G; thence northerly to Point H; thence northwesterly to Point I; thence northerly to Point J; thence northwesterly to Point K; thence southwesterly to Point L; thence northwesterly to Point M; thence northerly to Point N; thence northwesterly to Point O; thence northerly to Point P; thence northwesterly to Point Q; thence northerly to Point R; thence northwesterly to Point S; thence southwesterly to St. Marks River Lighted Buoy 1 (Point T); thence northerly to the St. Marks Lighthouse (Point U). Points A through U are expressed as follows by longitude and latitude:
Point | North Latitude | West Longitude |
A | 28°12.33' | 82°46.97' |
B | 28°16.68' | 82°47.21' |
C | 28°18.28' | 82°45.68' |
D | 28°26.93' | 82°45.95' |
E | 28°28.43' | 82°44.49' |
F | 28°43.53' | 82°45.22' |
G | 28°44.38' | 82°46.71' |
H | 28°57.91' | 82°47.53' |
I | 28°59.41' | 82°50.41' |
J | 29°03.28' | 82°50.66' |
K | 29°06.91' | 82°57.81' |
L | 29°03.38' | 83°01.42' |
M | 29°07.30' | 83°08.78' |
N | 29°22.98' | 83°15.89' |
O | 29°29.58' | 83°26.72' |
P | 29°38.25' | 83°26.66' |
Q | 29°43.36' | 83°34.39' |
R | 29°52.40' | 83°40.11' |
S | 30°00.04' | 84°07.63' |
T | 30°01.52' | 84°10.58' |
U | 30°04.43' | 84°10.78' |
(4) Northwest Region.(a) A person may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from all waters of Ochlockonee Bay and the Ochlockonee River and its tributaries in Franklin and Wakulla counties west of the U.S. Highway 98 Bridge across Ochlockonee Bay and all waters of Chaires Creek south of its mouth on Ochlockonee Bay in Franklin County, year-round.(b) A person may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the following described waters of Franklin County, year-round:1. All inland waters north of the John Gorrie Bridge (U.S. Highway 98) in Apalachicola Bay.2. All inland waters of the Carrabelle River and its tributaries upriver of a straight line beginning at 29°50.170'N, 84°39.780'W and ending at 29°50.170'N, 84°39.570'W.3. All waters of Sheepshead Bayou internal to St. Vincent Island.4. All waters of Big Bayou adjacent to and internal to St. Vincent Island south of a straight line beginning at 29°40.897'N, 85°10.012'W and ending at 29°41.126'N, 85°08.184'W.(c) A person may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from all waters of Indian Lagoon and St. Vincent Sound in Gulf County, year-round.(d) A food shrimp producer or live bait shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from all waters of Apalachee Bay and all tributaries, bays, or bayous in Wakulla County landward of the following described line: Beginning at the St. Marks Lighthouse, located at 30°04.429'N, 84°10.779'W, proceed southerly on a straight line to St. Marks River Lighted Buoy 1, located at 30°01.516'N, 84°10.580'W; thence westerly to Shell Point Channel Daybeacon 1, located at 30°02.833'N, 84°17.183'W; thence southwesterly to a point located at 30°01.670'N, 84°20.240'W; thence southwesterly to a point located at 29°59.900'N, 84°21.800'W; thence southeasterly to a point at 29°58.600'N, 84°20.230'W, at the COLREGS Demarcation Line; thence southerly along the COLREGS Demarcation Line to the coastline at Ochlockonee Point.
(e) A food shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the following waters of Okaloosa County:1. All waters of Five Mile Bayou west of the State Road 85 bridge crossing said bayou.2. All waters of Chula Vista Bayou, Don's Bayou, Little Bayou, and Garnier Bayou north of the State Road 85 bridge crossing Garnier Bayou.(f) A food shrimp producer may not harvest or attempt to harvest shrimp in or from the portion of Santa Rosa Sound lying in Escambia, Santa Rosa, and Okaloosa counties west of the Brooks Bridge (U.S. Highway 98) in Okaloosa County and east of the Bob Sikes Bridge (County Road 399) in Santa Rosa and Escambia counties..Fla. Admin. Code Ann. R. 68B-31.008
Rulemaking Authority Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const. Law Implemented Art. IV, Sec. 9, Fla. Const.
New 1-1-92, Amended 10-3-94, 1-1-96, Formerly 46-31.008, Amended 12-2-99, 2-28-02, 3-1-05, Amended by Florida Register Volume 48, Number 066, April 5, 2022 effective 5/1/2022, Amended by Florida Register Volume 50, Number 173, September 4, 2024 effective 9/19/2024.New 1-1-92, Amended 10-3-94, 1-1-96, Formerly 46-31.008, Amended 12-2-99, 2-28-02, 3-1-05, 5-1-22.