FWC may ban Goliath Hata’s hand fishing at 11 spawning grounds

Florida fish and wildlife officials proposed new fishing gear restrictions on Wednesday aimed at protecting Goliath Hata from potentially harmful handline techniques.

Under this rule, anglers at 11 locations in Martin and Palm Beach counties use hand-fishing fishing equipment to catch Goliath ehata for three months each year from July 1st to September 30th, when fish spawn. Is prohibited.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has created rules to alleviate the concerns of recreational divers, but community spokesmen said the rules are not strict enough. Divers want the state to ban all fishing, as well as fishing and stocking, in these areas.

Killer Podcast:Spring training for fishing?Sure, that’s the thing

Take Goliath Hata:FWC lifts 1990 ban on harvesting in state waters

Do you see a saw? :A rare video shows an endangered sawfish feeding with a bait ball

Does the FWC ban handline fishing gear for spawning Goliath Hata?

The proposed regulation states:

Anglers must be 1,000 feet away from the designated meeting point.
There are 11 sites with known aggregates of spawning Goliath tehata: 5 off Martin County and 6 off Palm Beach County (see full list below).
Possession of the handline is only permitted if the hook is removed and stowed.

It is still permitted to use the handline to catch and release Goliath Hata in other parts of the state. Rod and reel fishing will continue to be permitted throughout the state.

FWC staff quoted the reason for the proposed regulation as follows:

Adult Goliath tehata often gather and lay eggs in the same location off the east coast of Florida each year, making them a good target for catch and release fishing.
Successful spawning is important for reconstructing the species population.
Gear restrictions at these 11 known spawning grounds may reduce the potential impact on Goliath tehata while maintaining access to other fisheries.

According to the FWC presentation, improper use of the handline can hurt Goliath tehata, but fish usually survive and have a “low release mortality rate”.

Gerald Carroll, a commercial diving operator in Palm Beach who frequently visits the MG111 artificial reef, said that at all 11 sites selected based on a survey by Florida State University fishing scientist Chris König, FWC is not just Goliath Hata, but all. He said that fishing for seeds should be banned. others.

“There is only Goliath Hata on this site,” he said at the FWC meeting on July 13. “It’s like shooting a fish with a barrel.”

The FWC Commissioner discussed the possibility of banning all fishing in all 11 locations or 3 of them.

FWC law enforcement officers told the Commissioner that it would be difficult to enforce the proposed rules.

If approved, this rule may come into effect as early as July 1, 2023. The next FWC meeting will be held in September, but the location has not yet been announced.

These are 11 Goliath Tehata spawning grounds in South Florida

Martin County

Pipe barge
Gulfland
208 REC
3 holes
MG111 / Warrior Leaf

Palm Beach County

tunnel
South fashion
Mike’s coral reef
Junho High Lee Fredge
Anacesilia
Mizupa
caster
Bud bar

Harvesting of some Goliath Hata was allowed

Goliath Hata has been protected in state and federal waters since 1990, when the United States banned all harvests of species.But that changed in March when the FWC voted to allow it. Limited, highly regulated harvests in state waters From March 2023.

The highlights of the Goliath Hata regulation are:

Up to 50 recreational harvests per year, up to 200 from the Everglades National Park.
Required recreational harvest permit and tag ($ 150 for residents, $ 500 for non-residents) issued in an unestablished lottery.
Harvesting is restricted to one fish per person per open season with a permit and tag, and is not transferable.
The season from March 1st to May 31st.
The only allowable gear is hook and line.
Slot limit with a total length of 24 inches or more and 36 inches or less.
Harvesting is permitted in the waters of Martin County, south of the Atlantic coast of Keys, all of the St. Lucy River and its tributaries, and all states except Dry Tortugas National Park.
Post-harvest requirements such as proper use of harvest tags, reporting of harvest data, submission of fin clips for genetic analysis.
Harvesting in federal waters will continue to be banned.