Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission

A report from the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission shows Lee, Brevard and Citrus counties lead the state in manatee deaths through Feb. 14.

Among them are the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission and the Florida State Guard.

Testing is still ongoing, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation says evidence so far doesn’t point to a clear cause for a recent fish kill at Lake Apopka.

The governor said he was announcing a “boater freedom initiative” that would change laws permitting inspections and searches under the justification of safety checks.

As concerns grow about the impact of herbicides on manatees, new studies point to water lettuce’s roles in aquatic ecosystems.

The changes in protection zones would ensure speed zones are consistent with the changes seen in a manatee distribution survey, especially extending some zones west toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Manatees and sea turtles are vulnerable to cold snaps like the Arctic blasts this month as cold air can drop the temperature of shallow water along Southwest Florida’s by 2 degrees every day.

The last day to buy a discounted fishing or hunting license is Jan. 3.

The proposals are expected to be completed by a May commission meeting, giving staff members time to compile data from ongoing studies about bear populations and gather more public input.

FWC recovers 37 stolen gold coins from 1715 fleet shipwrecks originally found off Florida's Treasure Coast.

Gov. DeSantis signs order making many hunting and fishing licenses 50% off through Jan. 3.

FWC is helping local law enforcement to identify and recover derelict boats from the storm.