Scallop Season to Open Early

[silverking]

For Immediate Release
May 20, 2014



Governor Rick Scott Announces Early Opening of Bay Scallop Season

TALLAHASSEE – Today, Governor Rick Scott announced the bay scallop season will open three days early this year. Opening the season early and on a weekend will create additional recreational opportunities for Florida residents and visitors while recognizing the importance of economic benefits to coastal communities where this activity occurs.

Governor Scott said, “I requested the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission open the season early this year to benefit our communities who rely on our fisheries. The bay scallop fishery is especially important to Florida’s Big Bend region and by opening the bay scallop season three days earlier, Floridians throughout this area will have more opportunities to enjoy our natural treasures and provide for their families.”

Scallop Zone map

The Governor’s letter requesting FWC to open the bay scallop season early can be viewed here.

The season, which usually opens July 1, will open Saturday, June 28, 2014. The FWC will also bring a proposal to its Commissioners at a future meeting to change future season openings to the Saturday before July 1, unless July 1 happens to be a Saturday.

The recreational season will open in Gulf of Mexico state waters (shore to 9 nautical miles) from the Pasco-Hernando county line to the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County. The season will remain open through Sept. 24, with the first day of the closure on Sept. 25.

All other regulations, including bag and vessel limits, apply.

Learn more by visiting MyFWC.com/Fishing and clicking on “Saltwater,” “Recreational Regulations” and “Bay Scallops.”

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[EddieJoe]

I suspect Rick Scott has never seen a wild scallop in his life.

[MarkM]

Politics, maybe?????

[slowroller]

An extra weekend to generate revenue for business owners! Good call Rick!

[tallykenj]

This early opening has occured for the last several years. They might as well make it permanent. It clearly doesn't negatively impact the scallop population and they are hard to find this time of year of anyway. Good luck to those that will be searching for scallops.

[MudDucker]

Let see .... hmmmm .... yep, it is hard to believe that a politician is playing politics ... I'm officially shocked!

In fact marine businesses have lobbied for this each year and again this year they are adding another weekend of revenue. One of the few bright spots in coastal businesses in the Big Bend area. I say go Rick!

[zload]

I believe they also mentioned that they would revise the regulations so that in the future season would open the Saturday before the first of July unless the first fell on a Saturday to avoid the yearly early open hype. Clearly they are just trying to get the weekend crowd there for opening day and generate more revenue for scallop "tourism" related business owners which in turn generates more tax revenue for the state.

A few years ago I had lunch at Roy's and set there for about 2 hours while watching FWC sit in the river and pull people over constantly. Seemed they were writing tickets or warnings for obvious things like two year old riding on the bow with no life jacket, blowing the no wake zone and just bad boat handling in one case. Did see them spend some quality time with a group of what seemed to be some inebriated young men who like to mouth off. Roy's should sell tickets for that

[flogator]

You see them in the river, but not in the gulf where people are putting others life at risk, also seems like the boats selected in the river have young girls in bikinis, guess it makes it easier for an inspection