A beloved fish may get the hook, as Florida gives initial approval to proposal for killing goliath grouper
Sun Sentinel
1 hr ago
David Fleshler, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
A proposal to allow goliath groupers to be killed won preliminary approval Wednesday from the Florida wildlife commission, over the objections of many scientists, conservationists and divers.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission voted 6-1 to take steps toward lifting a 31-year ban on catching the goliath grouper, a species that can reach upwards of 600 pounds and lives among the reefs and wrecks of the South Florida coast.
Although less well known than such Florida species as the alligator or panther, the goliath plays a growing role in the economics of Florida’s dive industry, with dive shops taking clients to photograph the giant fish, many of whom appear equally curious about their human visitors.