Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund; vessel registration funds; appropriation and distribution.

(1) Except as otherwise specified in this subsection and less the amount equal to any administrative costs which shall be deposited in the Highway Safety Operating Trust Fund, in each fiscal year, all funds collected from the registration of vessels through the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles and the tax collectors of the state and funds transferred from the General Revenue Fund pursuant to s. 328.72(18), except for those funds designated as the county portion pursuant to s. 328.72(1), shall be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund for recreational channel marking; public launching facilities; law enforcement and quality control programs; aquatic weed control; manatee protection, recovery, rescue, rehabilitation, and release; and marine mammal protection and recovery. The funds collected pursuant to s. 328.72(1) shall be transferred as follows:

(a) In each fiscal year, an amount equal to $1.50 for each commercial and recreational vessel registered in this state shall be transferred by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the Save the Manatee Trust Fund and shall be used only for the purposes specified in s. 379.2431(4).

(b) An amount equal to $2 from each recreational vessel registration fee, except that for class A-1 vessels, shall be transferred by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for aquatic weed research and control.

(c) An amount equal to 40 percent of the registration fees from commercial vessels shall be transferred by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles to the Invasive Plant Control Trust Fund in the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission for aquatic plant research and control.

(d) An amount equal to 40 percent of the registration fees from commercial vessels shall be transferred by the Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles, on a monthly basis, to the General Inspection Trust Fund of the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. These funds shall be used for shellfish and aquaculture development and quality control programs.

(2) All funds collected pursuant to s. 379.361(2) shall be deposited in the Marine Resources Conservation Trust Fund. Such funds shall be used to pay the cost of implementing the saltwater products license program. Additional proceeds from the licensing revenue shall be distributed among the following program functions:

(a) No more than 15 percent shall go to marine law enforcement;

(b) Twenty-five percent shall go to the Florida Saltwater Products Promotion Trust Fund within the Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, on a monthly basis, for the purpose of providing marketing and extension services including industry information and education; and

(c) The remainder shall go to the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, for use in marine research and statistics development, including quota management.