The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) needs your input on the future management of the recreational and commercial blue crab trap fishery. Diamondback terrapins are medium-sized turtles that live in similar brackish water habitat as blue crabs, including salt marshes, barrier islands, mangrove swamps, tidal creeks and rivers. Because of overlapping habitat, there is the potential for terrapins to be accidentally caught in blue crab traps. The FWC is hosting two virtual public workshops regarding accidental capture of diamondback terrapins in blue crab traps, and the utility of bycatch reduction devices to minimize harm to terrapins. Share your input by attending one of these workshops.
Workshops will begin at 6 p.m. EDT:
Web browsers that support virtual meeting include Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, Microsoft Edge and Internet Explorer.
Sept. 30: Statewide webinar
Oct. 1: Statewide webinar
You can also submit your comments online at MyFWC.com/SaltwaterComments.
Learn more at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Rulemaking: Submit a Comment/Attend a Workshop” and “Upcoming Public Workshops.”
Learn more about Diamondback Terrapins by visiting MyFWC.com and typing “terrapin” into the search bar.
Tags:blue crab traps[1], diamondback terrapins[2], public workshop[3]
