A group of Northeast Florida fishermen is voicing frustration over what they call “cronyism” in the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s (FWC) permit system for red snapper fishing.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) announced Tuesday it recovered 37 gold coins stolen from the 1715 fleet shipwrecks, worth over $1 million.

Governor Ron DeSantis announced a 17-day extension to Florida’s 2024 Gulf Red Snapper recreational fishing season, allowing families and visitors additional opportunities to fish during the holiday season.

On Wednesday, the FWC announced that it is offering a 50% discount on select hunting and fishing licenses through Jan. 3, 2025, including the annual and five-year Gold Sportsman license, along with the Youth Lifetime Sportsman licenses.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission’s Northwest Offshore Patrol Vessel (OPV) Team was awarded for their dedication to enforcing the federal fishing regulations in the Gulf of Mexico.

Fishing and hunting being a constitutional right may be considered the most “Florida thing” ever—and on Election Day, Floridians surely proved that after voting and approving Amendment 2- Right to Fish and Hunt, by 67 percent.

University of Florida researchers’ new outreach strategy resulted in an increase in reports of invasive species for the state.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission says that fall is the perfect time to evict bats from your home.

A dwarf sperm whale with a large plastic bag in its stomach was euthanized after it was washed ashore on Butler Beach in St. Augustine in September.

Gov. Ron DeSantis awarded $1 million to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission Foundation Monday in Steinhatchee to help fishing communities impacted by Hurricane Helene and Milton.

A new state report shows that 475 manatees had died in 2024 in Florida as of Oct. 11.

The St. Johns River is one of several rivers across Florida that is still experiencing significant flooding because of Hurricane Milton.

St. Johns County Fire Rescue said multiple units are searching for a missing swimmer in the area of Micklers Beach Saturday afternoon.

FWC says bear activity increases in the fall and that means more chances for you to have a bear encounter.

A Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office police officer was arrested and accused of boating under the influence Wednesday night, according to the sheriff’s office.

Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) is giving anglers the opportunity to directly provide data and improve the management of red snapper in the South Atlantic ocean.

As we enjoy our beaches and shorelines this Fourth of July weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is sharing a reminder that nesting season is underway for our state’s imperiled sea turtles, shorebirds, seabirds and wading birds.

Organizations dedicated to helping bears in Florida spoke against Governor Ron DeSantis signing a bill that makes it easier to shoot and kill bears in self-defense.

Florida, known as the “Fishing Capital of the World,” boasts more world record fish catches than any other state or country due to its vast bodies of water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission sends an annual reminder that black bears may be in unexpected places.

The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office released video showing Officers Kopp and Johnson removing a small alligator from the 104-year-old woman's home near Atlantic Boulevard and Art Museum Drive.

Flagler County officials warn against feeding alligators and other wildlife after a social media post showed children feeding a gator at Wadsworth Park.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said charges are imminent for two teenagers who were on board a boat where they were caught on camera dumping garbage cans into the ocean in South Florida.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission invites people of all ages and skill levels to its freshwater license-free fishing weekend on April 6 and 7.

Spring is here, and summer is just around the corner. Now that the weather’s getting warmer, Floridians and out-of-towners alike are flocking to Florida’s beaches, lakes, and parks to experience nature and enjoy the sunshine. However, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has warned vacationers to be weary of alligators.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) is now offering a website that offers an easier way for nature lovers to plan their excursions.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) approved new rule changes for the 2024-2025 hunting seasons and a new special-use alligator harvest opportunity.

Gov. Ron DeSantis on Tuesday announced the manatee population in Florida appears to be on the rebound.

Severe thunderstorms are expected throughout north and central Florida on Tuesday with 25-35 mph sustained winds and frequent gusts of 45-55 mph.

Two Jacksonville men died after they were found floating in the water Thursday morning near the Nassau Sound Bridge.

A necropsy report for the young dolphin seen in a photo being held out of the water by someone last month has been released.

A dolphin seen hoisted from the water in a picture posted on Instagram is believed to have died, according to two people involved.

A photo of a North Florida angler holding a dolphin several feet out of the water is prompting outrage online and investigations by state and federal agencies. A marine biologist told News4JAX his first reaction to seeing that picture was horror. It’s not clear exactly where that photo was taken but harassing or feeding wild dolphins is against federal law.

Not many boaters were on the water on Wednesday, but that will change this weekend.Local law enforcement agencies are bringing awareness to boating safety and manatee safety as the summer boating season approaches.

Meteorologist Katie Garner got a chance to go out with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission to see the issues they deal with firsthand on the St. Johns River.

The alligator was released back into the wild. No shoppers or employees were hurt during the encounter.

Charges have been dropped against a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer who was accused of three counts of child porn possession in St. Johns County.

It's spring, and that means black bears in Florida will be more active, including moms and their cubs. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some advice to help you avoid bear conflicts.

A report filed by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission reveals new information in the Dec. 21 incident at the Jacksonville Zoo and Gardens in which a zookeeper was mauled by an American black bear.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission performed a necropsy on a whale that washed ashore at Hanna Park in Jacksonville, but the report does not reveal to researchers how the whale died.

Captain Bud Brasier told News4JAX he spotted the humpback whale in the St. Mary’s Channel on Saturday, Jan. 7 around 11 a.m.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said a whale washed up Wednesday morning on the beach at Hanna Park.

Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute reported four calves off the coast of Florida and Georgia so far this season.

Three adult male manatees rescued from waters in the Florida Keys earlier this year have been returned to a Keys canal after being treated and rehabilitated at SeaWorld Orlando.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has established a hotline for reporting displaced vessels still on Florida state waters because of Hurricane Ian.

When a tropical storm or hurricane affects Florida, boat owners and operators have to worry about more than just their homes and families.

The Nassau County Board of Commissioners voted Wednesday to allocate $77,500 for removal of four derelict/abandoned vessels.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved new redfish regulations and management regions for state waters Wednesday, including decreases in per-person bag and vessel limits.

So far, just in the area of Naval Station Mayport, 21 Loggerhead nests have been spotted.

It’s National Safe Boating Week — and officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission are reminding boaters to play it safe on the water.

Two teenagers got a bull shark from a stranger who caught it in Mayport last week and then they gutted it and stored the dead fish with ice overnight at a friend’s house before hoisting it from the rafters at Ponte Vedra High School as a senior prank, according to an incident report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission obtained Wednesday by News4JAX.

The FWC approved increasing hunting hours and adding precharged pneumatic airbows to the legal methods of “taking” an alligator.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has approved regulation changes for cobia and redfish in state waters and a temporary modification to the 2022 recreational blueline tilefish season in Atlantic state waters.

Florida anglers this year will have extra days to fish for Gulf red snapper under an expanded season.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is asking Florida residents and visitors to help keep manatees safe, especially while out on the water.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission needs the community’s help tracking a virus that is killing freshwater turtles in Florida.

A North Atlantic right whale calf was spotted off Cumberland Island on Friday, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) reports.

A team with Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission confirmed a North Atlantic right whale named “Snow Cone,” and her calf, are swimming their way through Northeast Florida waters.

Florida’s recreational red snapper quota in Gulf state and federal waters was met during the June 4 through July 28 open season, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission announced Friday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has introduced a video outlining new rules to protect Florida deer populations by reducing the risk of chronic wasting disease or CWD from spreading into the state.

New this year, biologists will also ask permission to take a small piece of fin tissue from harvested fish for a large-scale genetics study to help estimate the total number of red snapper in the Atlantic population.

The FWC is cracking down on boaters under the influence as part of a statewide initiative called Operation Dry Water.

The search for a 34-year-old man who fell of a boat late Sunday afternoon in Black Creek resumed at 8:30 a.m. Monday as a recovery mission, Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said.

It’s the final day of “National Boating Safety Week” and if you plan to get out on the water for the holiday weekend, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a warning for you.

Flounder regulations change at the end of the monthJACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The FWC’s discussed changes regarding flounder fishing will go into effect at the end of the month. Starting March 1, the following changes will go into effect for flounder:Extending ALL Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission(FWC) flounder regulations into federal waters. Increasing the minimum size limit from 12 inches to 14 inches total length (recreational and commercial). October-November is a popular time to fish for flounder in the St Johns River and surrounding areas. Several fishing tournaments that target flounder will also need to move to a time of year that it is legal to catch flounder.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Six days after the U.S. Coast Guard suspended its search for a boater who disappeared on the St. Johns River last week, a body was discovered Thursday in the water north of the Buckman Bridge. According to a spokesperson for the FWC, the lead agency in the search, FWC and Clay County personnel recovered the body and took it to the Mulberry Cove Boat Ramp at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. Authorities have not yet said if the body found in the river Thursday is 20-year-old Michael Vaughn III, of St. Augustine, who disappeared on the river last week. But a family friend told News4Jax it’s him. The search began when an off-duty police officer spotted the boat spinning aimlessly in a circle in the St. Johns River just before 8 a.m.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – If you like fishing in The Keys, you may want to join a virtual meeting with FWC. The first of three online workshops to gather public input on a seasonal fishing closure in a 1-square-mile area near Western Dry Rocks will be tonight starting at 6 p.m. Instructions on how to join the meeting will be posted online at MyFWC.com/Marine. The protection of spawning aggregations, in combination with traditional management approaches (e.g., size limits, bag limits and vessel limits), represents a comprehensive conservation strategy aimed at sustaining and enhancing fish populations. Learn more at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Rulemaking: Submit a Comment/Attend a Workshop” and “Upcoming Public Workshops.”

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – A dead 14-foot pygmy sperm whale washed ashore on Ponte Vedra Beach on Thursday morning behind the Sawgrass Beach Club. “Pygmy sperm whales are a common strander down here, actually, and they are an offshore species,” FWC marine mammal biologist Nadia Gordon said. “They feed a lot on squid, so when they are found near the shore or on the beach, there’s a problem -- something going on. There’s a reason they are stranding.”During low tide, the whale was removed from the beach. “Our agency will look at the animal, doing an external work up initially to see what’s going on potentially and then, likely, a necropsy to look internally and see what’s going on,” Gordon said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has some stinky news! The FWC launched a new community science project aimed at learning more about Florida’s skunk populations. The Sunshine State is home to two species of skunks, the striped skunk and the smaller eastern spotted skunk. “There’s still a lot we don’t know about skunks in Florida,” FWC Mammal Conservation Coordinator Terry Doonan said. Your information will help inform future skunk research and habitat management practices.”To report a skunk sighting, click here.

Poachers set as many as 10,000 squirrel traps in central Florida and captured as many as 3,600 flying squirrels over a three-year period. "Buyers from South Korea would travel to the United States and purchase the flying squirrels from the wildlife dealer in Bushnell. The international retail value of the poached flying squirrels is estimated to be more than $1 million. The Florida suspects also illegally shipped protected freshwater turtles and alligators from Tampa to Los Angeles, where California authorities intercepted the reptiles, the agency said. "These poachers could have severely damaged Florida’s wildlife populations,” said Maj. Grant Burton, who leads the Florida wildlife commission’s investigation section.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – Oct 15th marks the opening of stone crab season, meaning that a few days later we can enjoy the tasty delicacy. Florida’s stone crab fishery has experienced a long-term decline in harvest and is likely undergoing overfishing. FWC staff worked with stakeholders on these changes that are intended to increase the stone crab population and build resiliency in the fishery. All plastic and wood stone crab traps will need to be outfitted with a 2 3/16-inch escape ring before the 2023/2024 season. For more information on harvesting stone crabs for recreation, trap specifications, commercial stone crab regulations and licensing information, go online to MyFWC.com/Marine.

An 18-foot, 9-inch Burmese python captured in South Florida is a new record, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The python was caught by members of the FWC Python Action Team and the South Florida Water Management District Python Elimination Program. Credit for the capture of the behemoth snake -- which weighed 104 pounds -- goes to Ryan Ausburn and Kevin Pavlidis. FWC said the removal of the female snake was a “triumph for our native wildlife and habitats.”The FWC partners with the SFWMD to remove nonnative pythons from the environment. Find out more about the Python Action Team: MyFWC.com/Python.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rejected a request Wednesday to cancel the upcoming mini-lobster season over concerns about crowds spreading COVID-19. However, commissioners expressed concern that numerous public boat ramps will be closed in the upper Keys. Whats a little bit alarming, although we have not canceled mini season, is the fact that in Islamorada and everything north, including Monroe County, public marinas for boat ramps are being closed, Commissioner Rodney Barreto said. Spottswood said he intends to address the boat ramp issue with Monroe County officials. Thats just going to push folks to other ramps and create further congestion, Spottswood said.

This includes anyone who may be targeting a variety of reef fish, not just for red snapper during snapper season. According to the FWC, State Reef Fish Anglers will help improve recreational data for several reef fish species such as snapper, grouper, and hogfish. Outside of red snapper mini season, if you fish for mutton snapper, yellowtail snapper, hogfish, red snapper, vermillion snapper, gag grouper, red grouper, black grouper, greater amberjack, lesser amberjack, banded rubberfish, almaco jack, or gray triggerfish you also need to add this designation to your annual saltwater fishing license. Dont forget to renew your State Reef Fish Angler designation annually if you plan to fish for or harvest the reef fish listed above. It is difficult to avoid some of the co-occurring snapper grouper species such as Vermilion Snapper, Mutton Snapper, and Red Snapper.

LABELLE, Fla. A Florida man was arrested Monday in the fatal shooting of an off-duty state wildlife officer, authorities said. Eliceo Hernandez, 20, was arrested and charged with manslaughter, according to a Hendry County Sheriff's Office Facebook post. Keen had been an officer with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Investigators said they were able to determine through interviews that Keen and another man had witnessed a reckless driver, and Keen followed the driver in his truck. After both Keen and Hernandez stopped, officials said Keen confronted Hernandez and was later shot.

LABELLE, Fla. – An off-duty Florida wildlife officer was found fatally shot early Sunday, authorities said. Florida Wildlife Conservation officer Julian Keen Jr. was found fatally shot in rural Hendry County, and three suspects were in custody, according to the Hendry County Sheriff’s Office and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. Pensacola television station WEAR reported Keen was shot and killed while trying to stop a hit-and-run driver. Keen, 30, grew up in LaBelle, Florida in Hendry County, according to the Fort Myers News-Press. He is an FWC Officer who was shot and killed off duty last night trying to stop a hit and run.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Drones could be deployed in state efforts to manage invasive species and address wildfire threats, under a proposal unanimously approved Wednesday by the House. “Currently, in the state of Florida we are facing an epidemic of invasive species destroying our local ecosystems, including the Everglades,” said bill sponsor Jason Fischer, R-Jacksonville. Law enforcement is also prohibited, with certain exceptions, from using drones to gather evidence or other information. Fischer’s proposal would allow the Florida Forest Service to use drones to mitigate the threat of wildfires on public lands. “Drones may be a more cost-effective way and more efficient way than current practices,” Fischer said.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – While there currently isn’t a high number of manatees in Jacksonville, there will be in April as the waters warm up. The manatee population is on the rise, and wildlife officials predict there will be a healthy number this summer. In 2017, the Florida manatee was reclassified from an endangered to a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act. While the population is doing well right now, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, a record number of manatees were killed last year by Florida boaters. For information on the Florida manatee and conservation efforts, click here.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The recreational harvest season for snook closes Dec. 15 in Atlantic state and federal waters, including Lake Okeechobee and the Kissimmee River, and will remain closed through Jan. 31, 2020, reopening to harvest Feb. 1. Anglers may continue to catch and release snook during the closed season. Snook also has a regular season closure that runs May 1 through Aug. 31. At its February meeting, FWC anticipates discussing whether to reopen snook harvest in this area on March 1. For more information on snook, visit MyFWC.com/Marine and click on “Recreational Regulations” and “Snook.” Improve data and report your catch on the Angler Action Foundation iAngler app at AnglerActionFoundation.com.

(CNN) - Two men have been charged for poaching thousands of Florida turtles and selling them illegally, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. More than 4,000 turtles comprising a range of native species were illegally captured and sold over six months, the commission said. "The illegal trade of turtles is having a global impact on many turtle species and our ecosystems," said Eric Sutton, the FWC's executive director. After receiving a tip in February 2018, the FWC launched an undercover investigation where they discovered a ring of traffickers who were selling wild turtles to reptile dealers and distributors. "Wild turtle populations cannot sustain the level of harvest that took place here," said Brooke Talley, the FWC's reptile and amphibian conservation coordinator.

St. Johns County BeachesST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - Over 40 young turtles washed onto St. Johns County beaches on Sunday, according to St. Johns County officials. The large numbers of beached turtles Monday continued a trend that has now seen more than 70 young turtles, or "washbacks", end up on St. Johns County beaches over the last week as a result of rough seas. In order to deal with the issue, St. Johns County has a team of about 200 volunteers in its Beach Steward and Washback Program that surveys the beaches to recover the washbacks. With the continued onset of high winds and storms that have stayed offshore, the ocean has been pushing towards the Florida coastline for several weeks now, the county said. Do not place the animal back in the ocean, the county advises.

WPTV/FWC via CNN(CNN) - A man involved in a viral video showing him laughing and smiling as a shark gets dragged to death behind a high-speed boat in Florida was sentenced to 10 days in jail. Robert Lee Benac, now 30, was charged Friday with one misdemeanor count of animal cruelty, according to Hillsbourgh County jail records and his attorney, Justin Brent Petredis. Benac was initially charged with two felony counts of aggravated animal cruelty before accepting a plea deal, according to the Tampa Bay Times. The court dropped one charge and reduced the other to animal cruelty, a misdemeanor, Petredis told CNN on Monday. According to Florida wildlife investigators, the shark was shot before being dragged to death.

ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. - The stench of dead fish was is in the air Thursday around an Atlantic Beach neighborhood along Wonderwood Drive. Neighbors who live in Oaks of Atlantic Beach said they began noticing the smell in the community's pond over the last few days. A spokesperson for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission said the cause is suspected to be weather-related following Hurricane Dorian. The FWC said this particular fish kill included fish that were gasping at the surface of the pond, which tells investigators that one of the factors of the kill was a low level of dissolved oxygen. They say it's actually pretty common following a storm, especially in isolated bodies of water.