Florida advances possibility for fishing of goliath groupers again
Get your fishing poles ready.
After facing extinction three decades ago due to overfishing and water pollution, Florida regulators have opened the door for once again allowing fishermen to catch and kill the goliath groupers.
According to the Associated Press, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission asked staff members to conjure up a new regulation proposal that would allow for 100 goliath groupers to be caught and kept alive on an annual basis within a four-year span.
As part of the proposal, a lottery would be put into place that gives a limited amount of fishermen the opportunity to pay $300 for a weekly license for catching and killing one goliath. The money earned from the permit sales will go towards funding research.
Though the move by the wildlife commission is a step in the right direction for eager fishermen, the regulator warned that the move might not be approved for a number of years as marine biologists might not come out in support of the proposed measure. The 400-800 pound fish has left many questions for scientists with regards to how the species has recovered over the last 30 years.
“We can’t just be stuck because there is a philosophy out there that says this big lovable creature can never be taken again,” said Commissioner Robert Spottswood.
In 1990, Florida banned the catching of the goliath due to its drastically reduced numbers in areas where the fish was usually found in abundance. As the goliaths make their return, they are typically found in reefs and around shipwrecks.
With Wire News Services
