Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressJuly 4, 2017

A large stretch of Florida’s Gulf Coast is open for recreational scalloping. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission opened an area from St. Vincent Island in Franklin County to the Pasco and Hernando County line to recreational scalloping over the weekend. A recreational salt water fishing license is required to gather bay scallops, and […]

Staff ReportsApril 19, 2017

Florida animal welfare activists are calling Gov. Rick Scott to appoint a non-hunter to a vacancy on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). On Wednesday, the Animal Rights Foundation of Florida (ARFF) ran an advertisement in the Tallahassee Democrat urging Scott to appoint either a nature photographer, a bird-watcher, or an individual with […]

Guest AuthorApril 10, 2017

Florida’s black bears are once again under threat of trophy hunters invading their forest homes and shooting them for no reason. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission may revisit the issue of a Florida statewide hunt on black bears, and it is time for citizens to let them know we want our bears protected […]

Terry RoenFebruary 20, 2017

Florida manatees are thriving during this warm, sunny winter. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) count found the highest number of sea cows since 1991 and the third straight year of a minimum count greater than 6,000 during its annual flyover of popular manatee spots. A team of 15 observers from 10 organizations […]

Associated PressJanuary 5, 2017

A record number of endangered Florida panthers died again last year — 42 of the remaining big cats were killed, matching the 2015 record. Thirty-four were hit by vehicles in southwest Florida, where development is shrinking what’s left of their habitat. The tally kept by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission includes six new […]

Jim RosicaJanuary 3, 2017

The tegu lizard is dead to Frank Artiles. The Republican state senator from Miami-Dade County filed legislation (SB 230) Tuesday to eradicate the non-native reptile tegu from Florida. The lizard is “decimat(ing) the fauna and flora of the Everglades and other natural areas and ecosystems in the southern and central parts of this state at […]

Jim RosicaDecember 5, 2016

A former officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is suing for his job back, saying he was fired in retaliation for blowing the whistle on wrongdoing. Travis Hooker filed suit last week in Leon County Circuit Civil Court under the state’s whistleblower law. The decorated combat Marine, who was stationed in Iraq, was a lieutenant in the FWC’s […]

Peter SchorschOctober 11, 2016

Remember the “deer dog” case? This is the one where several families were having their lives disrupted because a group of hunters in the Panhandle was allowing hounds-in-pursuit-of-deer to trample across private property. It’s a quirky case. The Blackwater Wildlife Management Area (BWMA) is managed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWCC) and, […]

Guest AuthorSeptember 1, 2016

News that yet another venomous snake escaped from a Florida home — this time a cobra in Homestead — should concern all Floridians. Although many states ban private ownership of venomous snakes, Florida does not. Coincidentally, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is scheduled to consider tightening the rules regarding possession of venomous snakes at its […]

Associated PressAugust 22, 2016

More than 6,000 permits have been issued to hunt Florida alligators, and some 13,000 hunters have applied for permits. The Naples Daily News reported that each permit allows a hunter to kill two alligators during the hunting season which began last week. Florida has more than a million alligators, according to estimates, and they’re in […]

Tag: Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission

Florida opens large stretch of Gulf Coast for scalloping

Newspaper ad calls on Governor to appoint non-hunter to state wildlife agency

Kate MacFall: Florida black bears under threat again, for no reason

Aerial survey shows increasing manatee count

Florida panther deaths still at record-high for 2016

Frank Artiles takes on the tegu

Ex-FWC officer sues for job back under ‘whistleblower’ law

FWCC judicial beat down in ‘deer dog’ case

Kate MacFall: Florida FWC should consider ban on venomous snakes as pets

13,000 hunters apply for gator permits