For Additional Headlines - go to our News Section »

• Boyd Introduces Legislation to Protect Gulf Coast Oyster Industry
  made by gator
• Boyd Introduces Legislation to Protect Gulf Coast Oyster Industry
  made by protectfloridajobs.com
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by protectfloridajobs.com
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by gator@work
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by Don
• Boyd Introduces Legislation to Protect Gulf Coast Oyster Industry
  made by gator@work
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by protectfloridajobs.com
• Boyd Introduces Legislation to Protect Gulf Coast Oyster Industry
  made by protectfloridajobs.com
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by wcrider153
• Panama City's Future: Boom or Bust?
  made by Oldman

• Sheriff: Baby Found Alive Under Babysitter’s Bed
• UPDATE: Missing Child Alert Issued for Infant in Chipley
• Update: Babysitter Under Investigation in Missing Infant Case
• Mother and Aunt Charged in Disappearance of Baby Shannon
• Person of Interest in Baby Disappearance
• Missing Child Update
• Neighbors React To Child’s Disappearance
• Four Arrests Made in Connection to Weight Loss Clinics
• Search Continues for Missing Infant
• Missing Chipley Baby Shannon Lea Dedrick Information Recap

Bay scallop season opens July 1
06/24/09 - 02:37 PM

Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC)

 RSS Feed

The recreational harvest season for bay scallops begins July 1 and continues through Sept. 10.  Open scalloping areas on Florida’s Gulf coast extend from the west bank of the Mexico Beach Canal in Bay County to the Pasco-Hernando county line near Aripeka.

You can take bay scallops only within the allowable harvest areas.  It is illegal to possess bay scallops while you’re in or on state waters outside the open harvest areas, or to land bay scallops outside the open areas.

There is a daily limit of 2 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or
1 pint of bay scallop meat per person during the open season.  In addition, no more than 10 gallons of whole bay scallops in the shell or one-half gallon of bay scallop meat may be possessed aboard any vessel at any time.

You are allowed to harvest bay scallops only by hand or with a landing or dip net, and bay scallops may not be harvested for commercial purposes.

Unless otherwise exempt, you will need a regular Florida saltwater fishing license when using a boat to harvest scallops. If wading from shore, starting Aug. 1, you will need a regular Florida saltwater fishing license or the new shore-based license.

Divers and snorkelers are required to display a “divers-down” flag (red with a white diagonal stripe) while in the water. Boaters must stay at least 100 feet away from a divers-down flag in a river, inlet or channel.
In open waters, boaters must stay 300 feet away from a divers-down flag.
For more information on divers-down flag requirements, visit MyFWC.com/RULESANDREGS/Rules_Boat.htm#flag.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission encourages you to adhere to scallop fishing regulations and collect only the amount of bay scallops you are willing to clean.

More information on bay scallops is available online at MyFWC.com/RULESANDREGS/Saltwater_Regulations_bayscallops.htm and http://research.myfwc.com/features/category_sub.asp?id=2598.