Take a crowbar to your fish cleaning station and rip it off your dock! They’ll soon be illegal unless you have a permit.
You heard right!
Homeowners, public fishing piers, marinas, fish houses and fish camps will all be criminals if the State of Florida follows through with pending rules requiring permits for fish cleaning stations, or fillet tables as they’re also known.
Something stinks in Tallahassee.
To avoid conflicts with the new law, Manatee County has removed cleaning tables from public boat ramps. Our (your) tax dollars paid for their removal.
Are you serious?
The state has nothing better to do than create laws that make these old timey dock side conveniences illegal? Fillet tables have been around since, well, probably shortly after the Calusa Indians wanted a better way to clean their catch. And now they’re illegal?
Hey Governor Crist, you’re an avid fisherman. Does Carole really want you cleaning sheep head in the kitchen?
Look, fish carcasses feed birds and enrich the ecosystem. They’re not a problem. Never have been.
Call, write and email your representatives. Tell them to repeal this ridiculous law and stop wasting time and money. Heck, they could be balancing the budget, when they’re not out fishing.
Article by LucyLu
I was born a commercial fisherman's daughter in Cortez, an old fishing village off the west coast of Florida where you can still experience "Old Florida" and get a really good grouper sandwich. I went to school and became an anesthetist, after privileged years of practice, I jumped ship to work in the family business - Cannons Marina. I love my job and the view. I am crazy about my dog. Being out on the water is magical. I still get giddy every time I see a dolphin. Often I brag that I had the opportunity to swim alongside a humpback whale - it was freaky and pretty amazing. Fishing for tarpon and marlin make me happy. My life is no doubt boating, but I also love paddle-boarding cooking and travel.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
This is going overboard, pun intended!! The crabs need to eat and this completes the food chain. What will the bottom dwellers do? We will still be taking the fish from the water, but they will not receive a share of the nutrition. This is wrong.
sounds like our government is out of touch with what goes on outisde of the walls of their office I recommend offering them a day of fishing on the water and then lets see how they feel about their decisions at the end of the day..
I think it is a silly law! Fillet tables do not harm anything or anyone. If anything it allows for people to fillet legal caught fish. I think everyone needs to read this article!
Doesn’t sound very sanitary to leave the fish guts just laying on the docks. How could that be better?
still can not find the rule 22 they sighted me but just had to remove my cleaning station from my dock or be fined l would like to drop the waste at the home of who thought up this. I will still have to clean on the dock. Funny in trying to find on their sight the rule they stated that I had to remove or face a fine they said we should clean our fish where caught in the gulf. That is against the law.
Hi Gary,
We cannot find the rule either. We wish you the best of luck and very sorry you were sighted.
Take care,
Lucylu