The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation (FWC) announced several changes to the management of cobia in state waters of the Gulf of Mexico last week.
These changes come due to concerns from anglers and input from stakeholders. With the changes, they’re hoping to promote sustainable management for cobia in the Gulf.
While the 33-inch minimum size limit won’t change, the following approved changes go into effect on February 1, 2018:
- Creating a Gulf/Atlantic management boundary defining all state waters north of the Monroe-Collier county line as “Gulf state waters” for purposes of managing cobia.
- Making the recreational and commercial bag limits for cobia in Gulf state waters the same by reducing the commercial limit from two to one fish per person.
- Reducing the recreational and commercial vessel limit in Gulf state waters from six to two cobia per vessel, per day.
