Florida Statutes Title XXVIII. Natural Resources; Conservation, Reclamation, and Use § 379.2421. Fishers and equipment;  regulation  1]

(1) Illegal possession of seines and nets.--No person may have in his or her custody or possession in any county of this state any fishing seine or net, the use of which for fishing purposes in such county is prohibited by law.  Such possession shall be evidence of a violation of this subsection by both the owner thereof and the person using or possessing said net.  The provisions of this subsection shall not apply to shrimp nets, to pound nets or purse nets when used in taking menhaden fish, to seines used exclusively for taking herring, or to legal beach seines used in the open gulf or Atlantic Ocean if the possession of such nets is not prohibited in the county where found.

(2) Stop netting defined;  prohibition.--

(3) Use of purse seines, gill nets, pound nets, etc.--No person may take food fish within or without the waters of this state with a purse seine, purse gill net, or other net using rings or other devices on the lead line thereof, through which a purse line is drawn, or pound net, or have any food fish so taken in his or her possession for sale or shipment.  The provisions of this section shall not apply to shrimp nets or to pound nets or purse seines when used for the taking of tuna or menhaden fish only.

(4) Return of fish to water.--All persons taking food fish from any of the waters of this state by use of seines, nets, or other fishing devices and not using any of such fish because of size or other reasons shall immediately release and return such fish alive to the water from which taken and no such fish may be placed or deposited on any bank, shore, beach or other place out of the water.

(5) Seines, pocket bunts.--In any counties where seines are not prohibited on the open gulf or Atlantic Ocean, such seines may have a pocket bunt on the middle of the seine of a mesh size less than that provided by law.

(6) Use of poisons, drugs, or chemicals.--Upon application on forms furnished by the commission, the commission may issue a license to use poisons, drugs, or other chemicals in the marine waters of this state for the purpose of capturing live marine species.  The application and license shall specify the area in which collecting will be done;  the drugs, chemicals, or poisons to be used;  and the maximum amounts and concentrations at each sampling.

(7) Penalties.--A commercial harvester who violates this section shall be punished under s. 379.407.  Any other person who violates this section commits a Level Two violation under s. 379.401.