Harvesting of Hogfish closed in Federal waters off Florida Atlantic Coast

[Richard FDC]

Spear-Fishermen take note. There are changes in Federal rules for hogfish in place in Florida Atlantic waters because of over-harvesting. Recreational harvesting is temporarily closed and there are new rules likely.
Hogfish Season Closed in Florida Waters | Florida Dive Connection - Florida SCUBA Diving News and Information

 

[TightLines]

Hoping someone can explain this to me.

They claim hogfish have been over harvested this year (no reason to doubt them) so they prohibit recreational but NOT commercial harvesting.

There's got to be something I don't understand other than the federal government doesn't want to be accused of destroying jobs.

 

[100days-a-year]

Recreation Total Allowable Catch is 86K,which the Fed has determined to be caught already.
Commercial TAC is 56K of which 18k has been caught.

Commercial catch is largely in SC and NC and have far healthier populations.

Commercial catch is documented,sampled and unload intercepts determine location,depth and effort required,recreational anglers have long fought any system of verifying catches so the regulators have little to go on.The commercial catch is largely stable for years as the area and depths dove preclude most recreational divers.

There is talk at the regulatory level to split the fishery into 2 sectors with the division being somewhere between N of S FL all the way up to the GA border.Good idea as the S FL fishery is a shambles due to ease of access and population density.

 

[TightLines]

Very interesting and I appreciate your insight.

Out of curiosity how to they estimate the recreational catch?

 

[100days-a-year]

Thanks,Guesstimate is more apropos.

# of license sold,# of days fishable,# of divers out of the population who spearfish,a little fudge factor for hook and line caught fish and viola.There are more factors and some actual science.

Here is the info on the folks accountable index

Bottom line,in any other field of study they would not be straight faced when they called this science.But without definitive documentation(expensive and invasive as well as easy to falsify)there is little to go on.It is obvious S FL hogfish are stressed,and NMFS has a penchant for heavy handed gestures.

 

[Superlyte27]

Recreation Total Allowable Catch is 86K,which the Fed has determined to be caught already.
Commercial TAC is 56K of which 18k has been caught.

Commercial catch is largely in SC and NC and have far healthier populations.

Commercial catch is documented,sampled and unload intercepts determine location,depth and effort required,recreational anglers have long fought any system of verifying catches so the regulators have little to go on.The commercial catch is largely stable for years as the area and depths dove preclude most recreational divers.

There is talk at the regulatory level to split the fishery into 2 sectors with the division being somewhere between N of S FL all the way up to the GA border.Good idea as the S FL fishery is a shambles due to ease of access and population density.

I'd love to see an angler catch hogfish, other than accident or shear dumb luck. Their mouths are very small. You can only catch them with a tiny hook. And most bait fish clear that hook pretty fast.

 

[Chugwhump]

I am so very good with this....
Where I dive.

The commercial crowd being able to keep pounding them....
Where I dive,
I am not.

Now....
How about we just kill more Lionfish.

Chug
Nothing less than 16"....
Prefers 18" or better.

 

[100days-a-year]

Superlyte,there are charters that target hogfish specifically in the Keys.I have caught them on dead sardines in 150'
Recreational anglers is a what group recreational spearfishermen are classified at by regulators.They do not typically differentiate between gear type unless some group like the CCA gets it's panties wadded up and asks that the fish they fish for are reserved exclusively for them ;snook,bonefish,redfish,tarpon,permit etc...

 

[tekkydiver]

I am so very good with this....
Where I dive.

The commercial crowd being able to keep pounding them....
Where I dive,
I am not.

Now....
How about we just kill more Lionfish.

Chug
Nothing less than 16"....
Prefers 18" or better.

I second increasing the size limit, a 12" fish is too small to keep. A 16" hogfish makes for a great dinner.

As far as the current closure, I read this as affecting Federal Waters only. The new regulations have no impact on the recreational take in State waters. Am I missing something?