02/10/2026
MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife Meeting happening now!
Watch live on thefloridachannel.org
In his Executive Director's Report, Roger Young described an Executive Order issued last week on the issue of cold-stunned iguanas. USARK FL coordinated with FWC leadership on this emergency order and gave input before it was issued. The order allowed any member of the public to collect iguanas in the short date range specified for the cold weather event and turn into FWC at specified locations. The order allowed FWC to place the animals with our iguana permit holders to be rehomed out of state. Today, Director Young said that over 5200 iguanas were turned in. Our license holders have reported receiving numbers of iguanas in the thousands from FWC. Unfortunately, many of these animals unavoidably succumbed to the effects of the cold. However, many are being placed out of state, eliminating the need for FWC to euthanize iguanas. Though we do not always agree with FWC policies, we are grateful for the opportunity to work cooperatively for the removal of these nonnative lizards from the wild with their welfare in mind.
FWC Meeting
Date: Feb 4, 2026 Time: 8:30 am
Date: Feb 5, 2026 Time: 8:30 am
Location:
Florida State University
Donald L. Tucker Civic Center
505 W. Pensacola St, Tallahassee, FL 32301
Public comments will be accepted in person during the meeting.
See agenda here:
https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/february-2026/
Watch live at thefloridachannel.org
8:30 a.m., Thursday, February 5
Items Requiring Action
"C. Proposed Final Rule – Florida Reef Gecko Listing and Guidelines. Staff will seek approval to add the Florida reef gecko to the Florida Endangered and Threatened Species List. The final step of the state listing process requires Commission approval of a Species Action Plan with Species Conservation Measures and Permitting Guidelines, and updates to the Imperiled Species Management Plan to incorporate the gecko. If approved, staff will publish a Notice of Proposed Rule for Rule 68A-27.003, F.A.C., to remove the Florida reef gecko from the Candidate list, add the species to the State-designated Threatened species list, and to incorporate the Guidelines into rule by reference.
Public comment on this agenda item will be limited to no more than 30 minutes. (This item may be moved to day one or postponed)."
USARK FL does not oppose conservation of the Florida Reef gecko.
We oppose the proposed rule as written due to its unnecessary and harmful impact on captive populations.
The Reef gecko’s primary threats are habitat loss and sea level rise, not captive care or breeding.
A ban on possession and captive breeding does nothing to mitigate these threats.
Captive populations can serve as assurance colonies if wild populations decline.
Responsible captive breeding preserves genetic diversity and contributes to scientific knowledge.
USARK FL supports allowing possession, breeding, and sale with proof of legal origin.
This approach requires receipts and documented chain of custody and does not allow wild collection in Florida
Commissioner Direction Has Not Been Reflected in Rule
At multiple meetings, Commissioners directed staff to work with the reptile keepers.
Despite repeated engagement, no meaningful changes were made to the rule language.
Staff suggested enforcement would apply only to Sphaerodactylus notatus notatus.
This subspecies is not universally accepted and is extremely difficult to distinguish from other subspecies.
Enforcement based on labeling alone would be unprecedented.
Rules must be clear, enforceable, and consistent, not reliant on informal interpretations.
FWC staff stated that receipts and documentation are insufficient to establish legality.
USARK FL strongly disagrees. Documentation is the standard method used across wildlife regulation.
Rejecting it eliminates any lawful path for responsible captive management.
Conservation rules must be written clearly, not dependent on who is in the room or employed in the future.
Gray areas lead to legal uncertainty and loss of cooperative stakeholders
Habitat loss and data collection needs do not justify a captive ban.
Ignores stakeholder input in practice
USARK FL respectfully asks the Commission to table this item and direct staff to meaningfully incorporate reptile keeper input into the written rule.
We ask that FWC return with a proposal that supports both conservation and responsible captive stewardship.
Photo by Daniel Parker
