A goliath grouper with a diver. FILE PHOTO

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission recently approved a draft proposal for a limited, highly regulated harvest of goliath grouper in state waters. Staff were directed to explore additional changes before bringing the proposal back for final approval at the March meeting.

If approved in March, the proposal would provide additional stakeholder access to goliath while continuing to allow access through catch-and-release, ecotourism and dive viewing opportunities.

The proposed draft rules include:

• A recreational harvest of up to 200 goliath per year, with a maximum of 50 from Everglades National Park.

• Requiring a recreational goliath harvest permit and tag, issued via a random-draw lottery, to legally harvest a goliath (staff will explore setting the cost of the tag, currently proposed to be $500, based on the cost of managing the program).

• Limiting harvest to one fish per person per open season with permit and tag.

• A March 1 through May 31 season.

• Allowable gear would be hook-and-line.

• A slot limit of 20 to 36 inches total length (staff will explore raising the slot minimum size limit to 22 or 24 inches total length).

• Harvest would be permitted in all state waters except those of Palm Beach County south through the Atlantic coast of the Keys (staff will update the proposal to include Martin County).

• Harvesters would also be subject to post-harvest requirements.

In addition, staff will explore modifying gear regulations to minimize impacts from catch-and-release fishing on goliath grouper spawning aggregations.

The FWC will continue to monitor the status of the stock using alternative metrics approved by the commission in 2018. The FWC will also continue ongoing efforts that recognize goliath’s role in the ecosystem and promote stock rebuilding.

Learn more about goliath grouper at MyFWC.com/Marine by clicking on “Recreational Regulations” and “Goliath Grouper” under the “Reef Fish” tab.