Going to Key West

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the curious

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Heya gang. I am heading to Key West at the end of August and am planning to buy a fishing license, in order to collect corals. I have called the charter that I have chosen to go snorkeling with, but have not gotten any response yet.

So I ask...does anyone know if either A) there is a charter who will allow me to take a couple buckets and bags for coral collecting out on our trip...or B) are there any locations, that I can swim to from the beach, with a high enough coral population to make the purchase of the license worth it?

Thanks in advance
 
I am pretty sure that it is illegal to collect any coral in the keys or probably anywhere off the FL coast, but I am not 100% sure and I am not sure if a normal FL fishing license will allow this as I think you will need some type of special permit. I would do a lot more checking into it and I am sure others will chime in as well as I think it was discussed a while back on this board.
 
aquaculture;884634 wrote: Check with dept of agriculture or wildlife fish & game in florida....and for the record....alot of coral is collected in florida waters..i.e. ricordea, gorgonians, some mushrooms, and pipefish, seahorses, inverts and various macro algaes. You need to check thoroughly into any special permits/licenses you may need, you don't want to get a hefty fine for something you were recreationally sporting for. Good luck and keep us up to date.:up:
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From everything I've read it seems like you are limited to 20 specimen/day, only 5 of any particular specimen, and there are a few things that just cannot be taken. Apparently a rock with 100 zoas on it is considered a single specimen too :yes:. I plan to pick up the brochure that tells me what can and can't be taken when I get the license.

I checked into whether you had to have a special permit, and it seems like a regular fishing license is all you need for collecting corals, inverts, etc. $47 for an out-of-state resident, but that ain't too bad :shades:
 
Good luck to ya, Man. One heck of an opportunity.

If you collect any coral, just make sure you set up a separate barebottom tank to house them in for a while when you get back. This way, you can monitor for any hitch hikers that may be on-board, and get rid of any harmful ones before you add them to your DT...
 
CedzAquAddiction;884653 wrote: Good luck to ya, Man. One heck of an opportunity.

If you collect any coral, just make sure you set up a separate barebottom tank to house them in for a while when you get back. This way, you can monitor for any hitch hikers that may be on-board, and get rid of any harmful ones before you add them to your DT...
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Good advice. I already have a 40b, with nothing but a powerhead, running upstairs...anxiously waiting. I plan to dip everything right when I get home...put it in a 10 gallon overnight...dip it again the next day...then put it into the 40b. My DT has no bugs now, and I want to keep it that way...haha.
 
I have never heard of anyone collecting corals in the Keys without a permit to do so...not a fishing license....I would check into this before you go collecting because you could get a hefty fine.
 
http://m.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/">http://m.myfwc.com/fishing/saltwater/recreational/aquarium-species/</a>

The concern is very appreciated :D.
I called to see whats what, and was directed to this link.

Basically its very regulated...which I appreciate. I asked, and I won't be legally allowed to sell anything collected, but trading with my reef club is find.
 
I lived there for 3 years a long time ago ... commercially collected angels and commercial spearo. Very highly regulated environment. Absolutely no hard coral collection for anybody (research permits only). You can't even collect live rock unless you are one of the handful of folks who have an aquaculure license and then it is only through leased sites. Inverts are very regulated - several banned species (long spine urchin is one I remember). There are recreational permits for ornamental fish, but species limits, bag limits and regulations on gear you can use to collect. I think it will be very hard to find a charter who would allow collection because a significant violation will involve boat seizure - not a risk a captain is willing to take based on a customer's understanding of the regs.

If you do go collecting, go to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's website and read up. Fines are steep. Make sure you are following "recreational" not "commercial" regs too - they are mixed in together sometimes. Make sure you stay clear of restircted zones too ... many on the shallow reefs off KW now.

BTW - not much off the beach in KW. Boat is the way to go ... reef 7 miles out.
 
+1 on what JJ Ocean says. I dive there about 4-5 times a year, they will absolutely freak out. It is HIGHLY illegal to collect inverts, or non-sport fish species. The Dive Charters will call the police if they catch you.
 
Jarney;884751 wrote: +1 on what JJ Ocean says. I dive there about 4-5 times a year, they will absolutely freak out. It is HIGHLY illegal to collect inverts, or non-sport fish species. The Dive Charters will call the police if they catch you.
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Oh yeah...definitely realizing that no charter is comfortable with it. I'm just planning to get down there and see how it goes. I'm guessing that no collecting of any kind is going to be legal in key west. I'll find 100% out from Florida fish and wildlife Monday.
 
the curious;884753 wrote: Oh yeah...definitely realizing that no charter is comfortable with it. I'm just planning to get down there and see how it goes. I'm guessing that no collecting of any kind is going to be legal in key west. I'll find 100% out from Florida fish and wildlife Monday.
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let me know what you find out

ill be there the week before you
 
the curious;884753 wrote: Oh yeah...definitely realizing that no charter is comfortable with it. I'm just planning to get down there and see how it goes. I'm guessing that no collecting of any kind is going to be legal in key west. I'll find 100% out from Florida fish and wildlife Monday.
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You can collect, you just have to be very careful and understand all the regs. You also have to know the boundaries of the "waters" - federal, state, Atlantic, Gulf and protected zones. You can/will encounter all of them off KW. Also need to be careful harvesting in one "water", but moving to another later in the day where your catch/equipment might be illegal in the "water" you are currently in when checked by Florida marine patrol (mostly issue with spearing vs. collecting ornamentals though).

The last time I collected off KW about 4 years ago I just stuck with fish - angels, butterflies, chromis, wrasse and hamlets. I stayed out on the outer bar in Atlantic/Federal waters and came straight in to the dock when done. I kept the list simple because the regs have gotten really complex. If you keep your target list simple, get a saltwater fishing license and don't get more than 20 fish total a day with not more than 5 of one species, you will be fine.

Would love to hear about your trip when you get back.
 
Well...I go off next Saturday for the Keys...woo hoo.
I have decided not to do any coral collecting, even though it is completely legal, with proper licensing. Apparently most of the keys are illegal to collect from, but portions of Key West it is OK. I just don't want to take the risk of going to Florida on vacation and leaving on probation ;).
 
the curious;890666 wrote: Well...I go off next Saturday for the Keys...woo hoo.
I have decided not to do any coral collecting, even though it is completely legal, with proper licensing. Apparently most of the keys are illegal to collect from, but portions of Key West it is OK. I just don't want to take the risk of going to Florida on vacation and leaving on probation ;).
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"....... leaving on probation ;).' A very wise choose :shout: to just leave the corals in their natural habitat. MPOV [my point of view] is my ignorance of harvesting livestock from the Keys would not be an excuse to get off easy. My luck would have it: "I would be fined enough $$$$ that I could have stocked an entire reef store if I would have just left the livestock in the Keys in the first place.


Wannabee
 
Let's hope you get good weather. Mornings were great but late afternoons got nasty
 
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