FL Lifts 32-Year-Old Ban On Catching, Killing Goliath Groupers

FLORIDA — Florida will soon let people harvest goliath groupers for the first time since 1990.

At its recent March meeting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission approved a limited, highly regulated recreational harvest of goliath grouper in state waters beginning in the spring of 2023.

For more than three decades, Floridians had been banned from catching and killing goliath groups following years of overfishing.

Conservation efforts by state and federal agencies to help bolster its population have now provided people with the rare opportunity to harvest the unique fist, state wildlife officials said.

“After decades of closure to this fishery, we welcome this opportunity for a highly regulated, limited take of goliath grouper,” FWC Commissioner Robert Spottswood said. “In addition, the post-harvest data reporting will help guide future management decisions for this species.”

The limited harvest will allow access to a fishery that has been closed since the ban went into effect more than 30 years ago by issuing up to 200 harvest permit tags via random-draw lottery.

The approved recreational harvest of goliath grouper includes:

• A recreational harvest of up to 200 goliath per year, with a maximum of 50 from Everglades National Park.
• A required recreational goliath harvest permit and tag, issued via a random-draw lottery, to legally harvest a goliath ($150 for residents, $500 for non-residents).
• Limiting harvest to one fish per person per open season with permit and tag, non-transferable.
• A March 1 through May 31 season.
• Allowable gear will be hook-and-line only.
• A slot limit of 24 to 36 inches total length.
• Harvest would be permitted in all state waters except those of Martin County south through the Atlantic coast of the Keys, all of the St. Lucie River and its tributaries, and Dry Tortugas National Park.
• Post-harvest requirements, such as proper utilization of the harvest tag, reporting harvest data and submitting a fin clip for genetic analysis.

Harvest will continue to be prohibited in federal waters, state wildlife officials said.