Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Celebrates 2024 Achievements in Conservation

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) proudly highlights the significant milestones achieved in 2024, as Florida solidifies its reputation as a national leader in conservation and outdoor recreation under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis. Recognized for its world-class fishing, hunting and outdoor experiences, the state has made preserving its natural resources a top priority, ensuring they remain accessible for future generations.

"Governor DeSantis, with his unwavering commitment, continues to make conserving Florida's natural resources one of his top priorities. His leadership guarantees that our conservation legacy will thrive for future generations and that Florida will continue to be the Fishing and Boating Capital of the World," said FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.

"We are thankful for Governor DeSantis and the Florida Legislature for their unwavering commitment to safeguarding our state's natural resources and environment," said FWC Executive Director Roger Young. "This steadfast support plays a vital role in preserving Florida's unparalleled beauty and ensuring it remains a premier destination to live, work and enjoy the great outdoors."

Florida's Great Outdoors

Under Governor DeSantis's leadership and Executive Order 24-238, the FWC is encouraging more families to embrace Florida's great outdoors. As part of this initiative, FWC is offering residents a 50% discount on select Gold Sportsman hunting and fishing licenses and a special $5 annual freshwater/saltwater fishing combination license. Since its launch, the program has generated over $2 million in sales, with 83,000 discounted licenses issued, including more than 21,000 purchased by first-time license holders. These discounts are available through Jan. 3, 2025.

FWC Gold Sportsman licenses, which include saltwater fishing, freshwater fishing, hunting privileges, and all associated permits, are discounted by 50% and are available at the following rates, plus applicable fees:

• Annual Gold Sportsman - $49.25
• Five-year Gold Sportsman - $246.25

A 50% discount on lifetime sportsman licenses for children up to 17 years of age.

• Age 4 or younger - $200 (normally $400)
• Ages 5 to 12 - $350 (normally $700)
• Ages 13 to 17 - $500 (normally $1,000)

Residents can purchase the discounted licenses online at GoOutdoorsFlorida.com, in person at their local tax collector's office, or through the Fish|Hunt FL App, available on Apple and Android devices. Additionally, the discounted one-year and five-year Gold Sportsman licenses can be purchased at any participating license agent.

Gulf Red Snapper Season

Governor Ron DeSantis extended Florida's record-long 2024 Gulf red snapper recreational season, adding 17 additional fishing days in November and December, bringing the total to an unprecedented 120 days. This milestone marked the longest private Gulf red snapper season since the FWC assumed management authority. Earlier in the year, the governor announced a 103-day season, which was adjusted following the impacts of hurricanes Helene and Milton.

Invasive Species Removal

The 2024 Florida Python Challenge™ resulted in 195 Burmese pythons being removed from the Everglades ecosystem and increased awareness both nationally and internationally about invasive species and the threats they pose to Florida's ecology. For this year's competition, 857 participants from 33 states and Canada registered to remove the invasive constrictors. Every python removed helps protect the Everglades and our native wildlife. The annual competition encourages the public to get directly involved in Everglades conservation through invasive species removal.

Over the past six years, under the leadership of Governor DeSantis and in collaboration with the Florida Legislature, the South Florida Water Management District, the Fish & Wildlife Foundation of Florida and the FWC significant strides have been made in addressing the invasive Burmese python threat. Since 2020, FWC has hosted five annual Florida Python Challenge™ events, contributing to the removal of more than 23,000 wild Burmese pythons from Florida since 2000 - over half of which have been eliminated since 2019.

This year also saw the removal of 31,774 lionfish during the 2024 Lionfish Challenge, the highest total since the program's inception in 2016.

Hunting and Game Management

Over the past five years, the FWC has worked with partners and cooperators to add over 130,000 acres of new public hunting opportunities across the state, including the establishment of nine new wildlife management areas and the expansion of huntable acres in existing areas.

Protection and Rehabilitation of Florida's Manatees

The FWC remains committed to the care and rehabilitation of manatees, dedicating significant resources to their protection. Under Governor DeSantis's leadership, the state has expanded and enhanced its network of acute care facilities for the treatment of injured and distressed manatees. Critical habitat restoration efforts have also advanced in areas with high manatee populations. For example, at Blue Spring, staff and partners have worked to improve warm-water habitats, ensuring a safe and accessible refuge for manatees while preserving recreational opportunities for visitors to Blue Spring State Park. From 2018 through 2024, the FWC, in collaboration with its partners, successfully conducted 751 manatee rescues statewide.

Red Tide Mitigation and Research

Since Governor DeSantis took office in 2019, Florida has invested more than $14.5 million in the FWC Fish and Wildlife Research Institute Center for Red Tide Research. This funding has supported over 25 new collaborative projects aimed at tracking, predicting and mitigating the effects of harmful algal blooms, as well as advancing recommendations from the state's Harmful Algal Bloom Task Force. Key advancements include year-round offshore surveys and autonomous glider deployments, enhancing monitoring from estuaries to offshore red tide zones. Improved bloom prediction models, high-resolution satellite imagery and real-time imaging technologies have strengthened detection capabilities, with over 50,000 samples analyzed in situ across more than 1,000 days.

Additionally, the state has allocated $18 million to the Red Tide Mitigation and Technology Development Initiative, a partnership between FWC and Mote Marine Laboratory. This investment has driven the testing of over 125 potential tools and technologies to control and mitigate red tide impacts, several of which have progressed to field testing, marking significant strides in combating this environmental challenge.

Law Enforcement

FWC's Vessel Turn-In Program made significant strides since its launch in late 2022. By mid-2024, 186 applications were submitted and 100 vessels were removed, with the 100th vessel cleared in Wakulla County in June. VTIP remains a vital component of Florida's derelict vessel prevention strategy, helping owners responsibly dispose of at-risk vessels before they become environmental hazards.

In response to hurricanes Debby, Helene and Milton the FWC deployed officers and derelict vessel specialists to address the aftermath, identifying over 700 derelict vessels statewide. To date, 214 of these vessels have been processed for removal through contractor efforts, while owners, contractors and insurers have removed an additional 189.

Fisheries Management

In 2024, the Division of Marine Fisheries Management strengthened its collaboration with commercial and recreational anglers through initiatives including the highly attended Commercial Fishing Industry Summit in May and the Atlantic Exempted Fishing Permits Project, aimed at improving red snapper data collection. Additionally, the DMFM supported Monroe County's Artificial Reefs program, which secured permits and launched the first artificial reef deployment in 15 years.

DMFM's saltwater angler recognition programs, Catch a Florida Memory and Florida Saltwater Fishing Records, had a notable year. The programs celebrated over 5,200 approved catches, 19 record-breaking achievements and the first-ever Master Grand Slam Angler who completed all eight adult Grand Slam categories.

The TrophyCatch program celebrated a major milestone, recording its 15,000th bass catch and highlighting Florida's world-class bass fishing. This program not only supports conservation and fisheries management but also underscores the importance of private partnerships in preserving Florida's top fishing opportunities.

Freshwater Fisheries Management staff continued to expand fishing access across the state, including the addition of a new fishing pier at Lake City as part of a multi-year initiative. These efforts, in collaboration with local governments and private landowners, reflect a commitment to developing infrastructure that enhances angling experiences.

Research

The FWC also advanced critical research following reports of abnormal fish behavior and sawfish mortalities in the Florida Keys. With $2 million in legislative funding, including $1.75 million awarded to the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust, the FWC is supporting data collection and employing local fishing guides to investigate the event across Biscayne Bay, Florida Bay and the Keys.

The FWC's Wildlife Research Section achieved significant milestones in sea turtle conservation, monitoring approximately 124,000 nests across 1,352 km of Florida's beaches. This included a record-breaking nesting season for the endangered Kemp's ridley sea turtle. Additionally, the team documented 2,300 stranded sea turtles and identified causes of stranding in 80% of cases, contributing critical data to species management and recovery efforts.

For more information about these and other fish and wildlife conservation projects, visit MyFWC.com.

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