[Coral-List] Proposed Killing of Goliath Grouper

Wed Sep 29 14:34:04 UTC 2021

I am sharing the comment I submitted to the FWC  re the fishing for Goliath grouper to encourage others who oppose the measure to speak up. My comments are not based on the nitty-gritty science like the facts that Sarah shared with us because I know the Commission has all of that already presented to them, but more on the reality of human attitudes and interactions with nature (the worst of our instincts). I read over their presentation (there is a link to the PowerPoint they will present), and basically they are trying to keep all of the 'stakeholders' happy! A major fallacy in wildlife management IS the concept of 'stakeholders'. If one small group of stakeholders want to kill the fishes it precludes a larger number of stakeholders who want their fishes free and swimming. Dead is Dead. Organizations such as the FWC and all other similar commissions need to be on the side of the wildlife not the humans who want to kill them.

Dear Commissioners: I am a 75 year old coral reef ecologist who grew up in the Caribbean. Even back when I first started scuba diving in 1964, large Goliath groupers were rare because overfishing of South Atlantic and Caribbean fishes had already been on-going for decades. This extremely large fish brings out the worst in human nature, the baked-in-the-cake in our DNA desire to kill things (including each other... the news is all about one war or another). And trophy hunting is among the most despicable of human traits. Between human greed and ingrained egotistical tendencies, most large species (not just Goliath groupers) have either been or are on the verge of being exterminated by humans. Why do I base my comments on these facts? because these are basic facts of human nature and it is your job to prevent people from continuing to exhibit such behavior. The idea that people who want to kill an animal have as much a right to be a stakeholder in the protection of a species as those who think (and know) that they deserve to be left alone is at its basis, ludicrous! We are approaching 8 BILLION people on Earth, and the pressure of so many humans on all ecosystems is beginning to collapse the environment that sustains us. You will not be able to limit the take to just 200 fish! There are likely twice that many being taken illegally each year without your being able to prevent it. Those who apply to the lottery and don't win a tag will be likely candidates to want to get 'their' fish whether they get a permit or not because they will feel the system is unfair and "if so-and-so can catch and kill one of them why can't I"? And many others won't even bother to apply: they will feel entitled to go get one while there are a few to get... again, human nature. You are managing HUMANS not the fishes. Why aren't there more large adults on the reefs? Because the juveniles (the very ones you want to allow to be caught) aren't surviving in sufficient numbers to make it into the larger size classes. The argument that these fishes are eating the fishes (and lobsters) humans want to catch is so.... I don't have words for it.... but to be nice I will use again the term selfish! The world is not there for humans alone to do what they want with it. The fishes and lobsters on the reefs should belong more to the Goliath groupers than to any human. The 'human conflicts' you refer to are one-sided arrogance of the recreational fishers who feel entitled to anything and everything they want to catch. It is your JOB to protect nature against these people, not to give in to their pressure to allow them to satisfy some basal need to kill things. The whole philosophy of your Commission needs to be radically revised in the 21st Century of human overpopulation and greatly diminished wildlife and wilderness. PLEASE do not approve this hunting of Goliath grouper juveniles! You will be opening the door to their return to highly threatened with ecological extinction which they already are at in most of their native range.

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Dr. Alina M. Szmant, CEO
CISME Instruments LLC
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-----Original Message-----
From: Coral-List <coral-list-bounces at coral.aoml.noaa.gov> On Behalf Of Sarah Frias-Torres via Coral-List
Sent: Thursday, September 23, 2021 7:38 PM
To: coral list <coral-list at coral.aoml.noaa.gov>
Subject: [Coral-List] Proposed Killing of Goliath Grouper

To fellow Coral-Listers with a SCUBA diving inclination and/or a conservation interest.

ACTION REQUEST:
I'm reaching out to you as a fellow SCUBA diver and a scientist doing research on the endangered Goliath Grouper. On October 6, 2021 Commissioners of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) will vote on a proposal to kill Goliath Grouper.
What is proposed: Killing 200 Goliath Grouper per year, 20 - 36 in., or 50 - 91 cm length, for an unknown number of years. These are juveniles in mangroves. If they were to reach adult size, it will be akin to the extermination of 4 spawning aggregations per year. The fishing pressure will be concentrated in the only two red mangrove nursery habitats left in Florida: Ten Thousand Islands, and the Florida Bay side of the Florida Keys. The ongoing collapse of the Indian River Lagoon system and widespread habitat degradation in Florida result in any other mangrove stands unsuitable as habitat for juvenile Goliath Grouper. Even in the habitat left, mass mortality events are common, such as the 2010 event that killed 90 % of all the juveniles.
What is the science to support this killing: There is no scientific evidence to support such killing. The 1990 federal and state moratorium on harvest must remain, because the species is still endangered. The species must be managed for conservation. A live Goliath Grouper generates more money through dive ecotourism than a dead one.
Why is this relevant for the SCUBA diving community: Every juvenile Goliath Grouper killed will not grow up to become adults in the reef, and will not be enjoyed by SCUBA divers. The voice of SCUBA divers and SCUBA diving businesses is usually ignored at these meetings. To note, the meeting is held, in person (no virtual option) in St. Augustine, far from the communities that benefit from the income Goliath Groupers generate for SCUBA diving businesses.
What you can do: Speak up for the Goliath Groupers

1)     Attend the FWC public meeting and give your comment in person on October 6 (see agenda item #6)

https://myfwc.com/about/commission/commission-meetings/october-2021/

2)     Write to FWC Commissioners (whether or not you can attend in person): tell them to reject the take proposal, and why. Post comment by October 1.

https://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/senior-staff/commissioners/

3)     Amplify: share this message through your network, and ask them to take action.
Thanks
If you need some inspiration for your written or in-person comments, here is a short film all about Goliath Groupers
 https://vimeo.com/262453693

And a review paper with scientific evidence to continue protection of this species through the 1990 state and federal moratorium on harvest.
https://marinelab.fsu.edu/media/3878/2020_koenig_et-al_goliathgroupe-fisheries_distrib.pdf

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Sarah Frias-Torres, Ph.D.
Twitter: @GrouperDoc
Science Blog: https://grouperluna.com/
Art Blog: https://oceanbestiary.com/

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