This morning, Wednesday, May 13, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) will meet at 8:30 a.m. to discuss several issues important to sportsmen and anglers, including a statewide alligator program, fisheries management, the Gulf Council report, and more.
The meeting will be held at the Caloosa Sound Convention Center, Caloosa Ballroom, 1375 Monroe St, in Fort Myers, or you can watch online via The Florida Channel.
Several items on this month’s docket directly impact our community:
- Proposed Final Rule – Alligator Management Updates: Staff is seeking immediate approval to amend Rules 68A-25.032, 68A-25.042, 68A-25.049, and 68A-25.052 F.A.C. This rule updates alligator harvest reporting to a 100% online system, creates connectivity fail-safes for validating harvests in remote locations, and syncs processor documentation with online hunter portals.
- Proposed Final Rule – Nonresident Hunting Licenses: Staff seeks approval to amend Rule 68A-4.001, F.A.C., which would completely eliminate the affordable 10-day nonresident hunting license. Out-of-state hunters would be forced to purchase an annual license to hunt any game or furbearers in Florida.
- Proposed Final Rule – Atlantic Red Snapper & For-Hire Reef Fish: A final rule vote to establish the Atlantic For-Hire Reef Fish Registry, requiring mandatory registration and intent-to-harvest reporting for the Atlantic for-hire reef fish fishery.
- Marine Fisheries Annual Workplan: Review and approval of the DMFM 2026/2027 Workplan, dictating marine fisheries programs and management focus for the upcoming fiscal year.
How You Can Participate
Decisions are made by those who show up. Here is how you can make your voice heard:
- Attend in Person: If you are in the Fort Myers area, join us at 1375 Monroe St. Public comment is your best tool to influence the Commission directly.
- Provide Public Comment: Speaker registration is available on-site. Comments are typically limited to three minutes. Keep your points concise, respectful, and fact-based.
- Submit Written Comments: If you cannot attend, you can email the Commissioners directly at Commissioners@MyFWC.com.
- Watch Live: Follow the proceedings via The Florida Channel to stay informed on the debate.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance is actively fighting to protect and advance our outdoor legacy from restrictive regulations, but our voice alone isn’t enough; the Commission needs to look out into the crowd and online and see you standing with us.
There has never been a more crucial time in sportsmen’s history than now to be involved and engaged in protecting our way of life. We cannot afford to stay silent while our traditions are on the chopping block. Share this email with your family and friends. Urge them to join the fight with you and the Sportsmen’s Alliance. The legacy of hunting, fishing, and trapping depends on our actions today.
The Sportsmen’s Alliance guarantees hunting, fishing, and trapping for the American sportsman now and forever. We’re there when sportsmen need us most. We are the only organization specifically created to protect the individual hunter, angler, and trapper – no matter the threat. We will never compromise when it comes to defending our way of life in the courts, in the legislatures, in the public square, and at the ballot box. We make this promise to the American sportsman: we will never give up and never give in while proudly securing our future against those seeking to destroy our values, beliefs, and traditions.
Stay connected to the Sportsmen’s Alliance: Online, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
