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The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission is taking on several hot button issues.

The FWC is in the news this week for its new fishing fees. Last month the commission banned freshwater turtle hunting. In mid-July the commission licensed seven herpetologists to hunt Burmese pythons on state lands in south Florida. Governor Charlie Crist visited the commission Wednesday to encourage the wildlife officers and talk about ramping up the python hunt.

“What I do know is we have a duty to take action to protect the people so that’s why this program has been initiated to look out for the health safety and welfare of the people of Florida and we’ll continue to do whatever we need to do to protect them,” said Crist.

Crist said news of a toddler strangled to death by a Burmese python early last month motivated him to rid the state of the snakes.