New Florida Law Allows Transportation of Bahamas’ Fish
Will you be fishing in the Bahamas soon? A new Florida law now allows fisherman to bring their fresh catches back from the Bahamas via boat while in Florida waters.
The fishing exception went into effect on Sept. 13, 2016. Anglers can now retrieve dolphin, reef fish and wahoo caught in Bahama waters. The new regulation only applies to fish transported via water, not those by air.
Here are some important things to keep in mind when retrieving fish from Bahama via water:
- Do not remove skin from the filet. This way, law enforcement will be able to identify the fish.
- Anglers must continue to adhere to Atlantic federal bag and vessel limits.
- When considering bag limits, two filets are the equivalent of one fish.
- Anglers must have valid Bahamian cruising and sport-fishing permits.
- Each passenger aboard the vessel must have a valid government passport with the latest Bahamian stamps and travel dates.
- Vessel travel must be continual when voyaging through state waters and equipment must be properly stowed. Terminal tackle (hooks, sinkers, leaders, etc.) must be disconnected and stored separately from the rod and reel.
- Anglers are not permitted to sell those landed under these exceptions.
Of course, keep in mind that Bahama fishing regulations may differ from those in U.S. state and federal waters. View the regulations for retrieving fish from Bahama here. Bahama’s sports fishing regulations can be found here.