What To Know Before You Go. . . This is not an official publication of spearingfishing rules and regulations. Regulations for is defined as the taking of any saltwater For additional information such as fishing fish through the instrumentality of a spear, gig, or lance Spearfishing regulations including size and bag limits- operated by a person swimming at or below the surface http://www.myfwc.com of the water. The use of powerheads, bangsticks, and for http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ remains prohibited. http://floridakeys.noaa.gov Monroe County, Florida http://www.dep.state.fl.us/ Possession of spear equipment: Possession of spears including the and is prohibited in Everglades National Park, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Dry Tortugas National Park and Florida State Parks. Division of Law Enforcement (888) 404-3922 Florida Keys Marathon Office (305) 289-2320 is protected from damage and taking Division of Marine Fisheries (850) 487-0554 National Marine Sanctuary in state and federal waters. NOAA Fisheries (727) 824-5344 Bag and Size Limits: The federal bag limits cannot be (305) 743-3110 combined with state bag limits. Remember to abide by regulations regarding size limits. Objects underwater John Pennekamp Coral State Park and appear 25% larger. Check with agencies for Dagny Johnson Hammock Botanical regulations: http://www.myfwc.com or State Park (305) 451-1202 http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/ Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park and License Requirements: Recreational harvesters are Lignumvitae Key Submerged Land Management required to possess a valid Florida Saltwater Fishing Area (305) 664-2540 License. Consult your license agent for purchasing and Long Key State Park (305) 664-4815 exemptions to licensing requirements or visit http://www.myfwc.com. Curry Hammock State Park (305) 292-2690

Dive Flag: All divers and snorkelers in the water Bahia Honda State Park (305) 872-2353 are required to prominently display a divers- Fort Zachary Taylor Historic State Park down flag. The minimum size for any divers-down flag (305) 292-6713 displayed on a buoy or float towed by is 12” by 12”. The minimum size for any divers-down flag Everglades and Dry Tortugas National Parks displayed from a vessel or structure is 20” by 24”. Any (305) 242-7700 divers-down flag displayed from a vessel must be 24-hour Dispatch (305) 242-7740 displayed from the highest point of the vessel or such other location which provides that the visibility of the Florida Keys National Wildlife Refuges divers-down flag is not obstructed in any direction. (305) 872-2239 Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary State Waters are all salt waters surrounding the Florida Upper Region Office (305) 852-7717 Keys out to three (3) nautical miles from the nearest Administrative Office (305) 743-2437 point of land including islands on the Atlantic side and Lower Region Office (305) 292-0311 out to nine (9) nautical miles from the nearest point of land including islands on the Gulf side. Consult NOAA nautical charts. Information and chart distributors can be found at http://chartmaker.ncd.noaa.gov/.

7/2005 Spearfishing is Prohibited in the Following Areas of Monroe County: Species Prohibited for Harvest by Spearing: • State Waters from Long Key north to • Unincorporated Monroe County • African Pompano • Red Drum the Miami-Dade County line (including the It is unlawful for any person to use, fire or discharge • Billfish • Sharks island of Long Key) any on or below the surface of the water in • Bonefish • Snook State Waters are all salt waters surrounding the any man-made canal in the unincorporated areas of • Goliath Grouper (Jewfish) • Sturgeon Florida Keys out to three (3) nautical miles from Monroe County. • Lobster • Spotted Eagle Ray the nearest point of land including islands on the • Manta Ray • Spotted Seatrout Atlantic side and out to nine (9) nautical miles from • Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary • Nassau Grouper • Tarpon the nearest point of land including islands on the • Permit • Tripletail Gulf side. • Existing Management Areas (EMA’s) • Pompano • Weakfish Possession of spearfishing equipment within an • Families of Ornamental Reef Fish • Everglades National Park Existing Management Area is prohibited except (Surgeonfish, Trumpetfish, Angelfish, Butterflyfish, while transiting through without stopping. • Dry Tortugas National Park Porcupinefish, Cornetfish, Squirrelfish, Trunkfish, • Key Largo - adjacent to John Pennekamp Coral • State Parks Damselfish, Parrotfish, Pipefish, Seahorse, Puffers, Reef State Park and extends to the Triggerfish except gray and ocean) • The following state parks are within State Waters 300’ depth in the Upper Keys - spearfishing is prohibited • Looe Key • Dagny Johnson Key Largo Hammock Know Your Fish Before You Go Botanical State Park (These 2 fish are protected and often confused with similar looking The following no-take areas are marked by 30" species.) • John Pennekamp State Park diameter round yellow buoys: irregular vertical bars rounded pectoral & caudal fin • Windley Key Fossil Reef Geological State Park small black spots • Sanctuary Preservation Areas (SPA’s) small eyes • Lignumvitae Key Submerged Land • Carysfort Reef • Cheeca Rocks Management Area • Elbow • Alligator Reef • Long Key State Park • Key Largo • Coffins Patch

• The following state parks boundaries extend out to • • Sombrero Key 400 feet from the shoreline - spearfishing and the • • Looe Key possession of spearfishing equipment is prohibited in these areas. • • Newfound Harbor Goliath Grouper (Jewfish) • Curry Hammock State Park • • head and fins covered with small black spots; irregular vertical bars present on the sides of body; pectoral and • Bahia Honda State Park • Hen and Chickens • Rock Key caudal fins rounded; eyes small • Fort Zachary Taylor Historic Sate Park • • stripe in shape of black saddle on caudal peduncle tuning fork • Beaches, Piers, Bridges • Special-use Research Only Areas Within 100 yards of a public swimming beach, any • Conch Reef • Tennessee Reef commercial or public fishing pier, or any part of a • Looe Key Patch Reef • Eastern Sambo bridge from which public fishing is allowed. • Jetties • Ecological Reserves Within 100 feet of any part of a jetty that is above • the surface of the sea - except for the last 500 yards • Tortugas (not currently marked) Nassau Grouper of a jetty that extends more than 1,500 yards from color light background with brown or red-brown bars on the shoreline. sides; stripe in shape of tuning fork on forehead; black dots around the eyes; large black saddle on caudal peduncle