Who Doesn't Hate Jewfish?

[vincent54]

A lottery seems to be a good compromise. I prefer Yellowtail, but I'm sure people are against harvesting it. I grew up fishing and hunting and there is nothing wrong with taking from nature as long as greed doesn't take over. If you can't eat it or share it, whats the use of the overkill. The impact by spearfishing is minimal. It is probable the best way to take from the ocean. It is selective, and the by kill is zero.

The reason we have game birds and fish in the state of Michigan is a direct result of the hunting and selectively removing stock.

Good video, and I wish I could freedive as well as the Florida crew.

 

[100days-a-year]

I'm not convinced they have recovered enough throughout their range,certainly in some places but I'd hold off til there's a little more done in the way of fish counts.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I have my own opinion about the sustainability of a jewfish (goliath grouper) harvest. However, it has nothing to do with the fish being a PIA when spearfishing.

They are a significant nuisance in certain areas for divers and hook and line fisherman. They have most certainly learned to opportunistically take compromised fish. The nuisance factor should be largely irrelevant from the standpoint of responsible management of the fishery.

However, from a practical standpoint, there is a growing feeling of resentment toward these fish by some fisherman. When they see so many of their fish being "stolen" from their lines or from their spearguns, some people feel justified in "taking matters into their own hands". The degree of resentment is probably intensified by the idea that the regulators might NEVER re-open a limited take of the fish, regardless of their population rebound. It sometimes seems to me that people, in general, have less trust and respect for their government than existed 20 or 30 years ago.

Possibly less fish will be killed, and in a more manageable and quantifiable manner if/when a limited take is opened up. It might well ameliorate the feeling (by some) that it is necessary to "thin the heard themselves" if they felt that the government was managing the population as a fishery, rather than viewing the species from a strictly emotional standpoint of "gentle giants". It is a huge political football.

Their rebounding population is certainly one of the few ecological success stories we can point to in the last 20 years. They are an incredible resource from an aesthetic standpoint as well. Where else can you dive side to side with groupers that are double your size?

Does anyone know which private company is responsible for killing all these ones (without being fined etc.)?

 

[TSandM]

Oh, that picture is sad!

I loved the video -- those fish are clever. It reminds me of a day we spent on Maui, where we got to watch an elephant seal systematically robbing the stringer of a pair of freediving spearfishermen.

As an aside, I tried to hold my breath as long as that spearfisherman was down, and darned near passed out. I don't know how you guys do it!

 

[kelemvor]

Possibly less fish will be killed, and in a more manageable and quantifiable manner if/when a limited take is opened up. It might well ameliorate the feeling (by some) that it is necessary to "thin the heard themselves" if they felt that the government was managing the population as a fishery, rather than viewing the species from a strictly emotional standpoint of "gentle giants". It is a huge political football.

The FWC is doing an assessment on them right now, presumably to consider opening it up at some point. However, I doubt it would change how people willing to commit crimes in the name of (whatever their reasons are) think about committing crimes. If there was a season for jewfish, then I guess part of the year the criminals wouldn't be breaking the law. Assuming, that's the only law they're breaking of course.

Does anyone know which private company is responsible for killing all these ones (without being fined etc.)?

No, but I'm curious. Even more curious as to why than the to the who. I assume your mention of it means that they aren't merely "getting away" with it but are allowed to.

 

[WheelsUSN]

Does anyone know which private company is responsible for killing all these ones (without being fined etc.)?

Yep, I know but they claim that they didn't kill them, the jellyfish did. Of course even if the jellyfish wouldn't have been sucked into the intakes with them they would have been stuck in the canal where they would have died anyway.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Hi Rick,

I appreciate your comments. I don't place blame for the decline, there seems plenty to go around. I am more concerned with what happens when they recover enough for consideration of a managed harvest. I don't know when they will recover enough for a season (I hope is is soon) but I like your idea of a balanced approach of smaller size limits and maybe restrictions during spawning aggregations in August and September. The diving users of this fish before the ban were primarily spearfishermen (sport and commercial) but the comeback has seen entirely new groups that have an interest in the fish, namely photographers and observers. Your approach might allow all groups to enjoy the species. Harvesting smaller ones on a limited scale might not make the overall population wary of divers, and preserving the large breeders and their spawing aggregations unmolested would allow sightseeing, photography, and "big animal divers" to continue enjoying this unparalled experience.

I hope they come back soon enough to even make consideration of this possible. I can say that in the Bahamas and caribbean they are still nowhere to be found, so the Florida population seems to be all there is, for now.

 

[Chugwhump]

I have my own opinion about the sustainability of a jewfish (goliath grouper) harvest. However, it has nothing to do with the fish being a PIA when spearfishing.......
......Does anyone know which private company is responsible for killing all these ones (without being fined etc.)?

Dumpster, you need to stop back off Florida Plunder & Loot or you might find yourself sitting in the dark without electric heat during our cold cold cold winters down here.

But as to the Original question, I like JEWfish.
I am about an ignoramus on whether or not a limited, or tag system is a good idea, but the suckers are pretty thick on SOME wrecks obviously.
I do like seeing them.

Chug the Goy
Will continue to refer to these magnificent creatures by their historic name along a couple of my regular dive pals Rabbi Bob, and Doctor Ronnie, who INSIST on calling them Jewfish.

 

[guyharrisonphoto]

Kelemvor,

That photo was from a freak accident at a power plant. A number of goliaths were in the cooling canals of an oceanfront nuke plant. It is possible they could have been sucked in through the cooling pipes out in the ocean, but I am not sure there is any actual knowledge about that. Anyway, there was a freak invasion of jelly fish that clogged the plant turbines, but not before a huge number of jellies were chopped up and their poisonous cells and tentacles went through the plant cooling system and into the canals. This in turn killed the goliaths by inflaming their gills and basically suffocating them.

This was a terrible event, but it was an accident, or maybe even negligence if the power plant did not do enough to save the fish (although what could have been done is not clear), but it was not a deliberate killing or wasteful intentional harvest as far as I can see from all reports about this.

If DD is speaking about spearos or hook and line sportfishermen who want to prove themselves by "getting" the "pesty" goliaths, that is just sad, and, to me, not even understandible.

 

[Tigerman]

Haha, sneaky bastards