Please help the Goliath Grouper please read

[lance]

the Goliath grouper is one of the top predators in the Atlantic ocean and the Caribbean. Several fishing groups are attempting to get the Goliath grouper fishery reopened on a fish that is already ecologically extinct (no longer has the controlling role it used to have in the ecosystem). The goliath grouper needs continued protection so it can hopefully someday return to an ecologically important role.

There is a petition to stop the reopening of the goliath grouper fishery. Please sign the petition to protect this ecologically important predator:

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/pro...liath-groupers

lance

[JimWelsh]

I signed, but had to enter "Goliath" in the "Find a petition" box, because the posted link is broken for some reason. Thanks, Lance!

[jadeguppy]

Signed it and two others.

[William]

The link no longer works. But I would have not signed it yet anyway. So the fishermen say that it has recovered. The anti-fishermen say that it has not. Does either side have any evidence? I'm not going to take either side's word for it. Before I take sides on the argument I would like to see some real scientific evidence.

My own personal experience diving in the FL Keys, says that either it is sufficiently recovered to sustain some fishing pressure or that all of the other large groupers need protection as well. At least on the popular diving location in the Keys Jewfish are far more abundant than any of the other large groupers.

[e-dog]

Let me play devils advocate on this one. I suppose that I may have more experience diving and fishing these reefs than most signing this petition so I'd like to offer my opinion. What is happening out here in Florida is an overfishing of legal grouper species (blacks, gags, reds) by recreational and commercial fisherman. The fisheries managers are trying to change this by closing the season for a few months, but it will probably take much more than that to bring their numbers back. They have a tough job of managing a lot of people's interests and still maintaining healthy populations of fish.
With no pressure on the goliath grouper for years, the numbers have skyrocketed. There are several wrecks that we dive that will hold dozens of these fish without another grouper species to be found. I dive a bouy directly off of where I work that contains 40 to 50 of them up to 500 lbs. Sometimes there will be one large white fish in the middle of the group. A male I think. Pretty neat to see, but again, no other grouper species to be seen. In my non-scientific census, I would have to put the numbers of goliath grouper at 10 to 1 over the other groupers. That is most definitely not the natural ratio of these fish and most local fisherman and divers believe that the over-abundance of goliath groupers is greatly altering the ecosystem. To maintain a more natural or "healthy" balance of all these predators, the fisheries managers have to open up this species for harvest. I really hope this petition doesn't change their minds, but I don't think it will. The proposals that I have seen call for a very regulated harvest. It needs to be done.
E-dog

[C-Aquafarm]

Signed it and some friends did it too

[lance]

sorry the link broke for some reason when I posted it. more that sign it the better for the well being of the goliath grouper please tell everyone you can and get them to sign. this link should work sorry for the mess up.

http://www.thepetitionsite.com/1/protec ... h-groupers

thanks,

lance

[William]

After reading the text attached to the petition, it does not sound like the people behind the petition are even claiming that there is an ecological need for their protection any more. Can we assume that since they are not arguing that the species Needs protection, that it in fact no evidence to support that claim?

We have witnessed the curious nature of these massive creatures and watched them roll on their sides to have their bellies scratched by a diver. Fisherman and spear-fisherman wish to hunt them for sport, but we cannot see the sport in shooting an animal that willfully approaches divers.

We, the undersigned, are extremely opposed to the removal of protected status from these gentle giants.

So the most convincing reason to protect them is because they are cute...While this logic has worked to secure the protection from hunting of dolphins I sincerely hope that we do not see this trend continued. If you can block one species from collection solely because it is cute, then you have a very easy path to block the collection of all species of fish - all you have to do is argue that they are cute, which is not that hard to do. And then what would we eat? And what would we put in our aquariums - if fish are too cute to kill, they are probably also too cute to be forced to serve a life sentence in a 2'x2' jail cell? And to really hit at the heart of MOFIB's mission, unlike protection for ecological purposes, where aquaculture of threatened species is encouraged, protecting a species because it is cute, would also forbid eating or possesing aquacultured fish as well because it is not like aquacultured fish are any less cute.

While I agree with your desire to increase the protections of many fish that are threatened by overfishing, I adamantly oppose protecting them just because they are cute. If there really is an ecological need to continue the ban of fishing for Jewfish - please use that argument, if not, please don't try to block the fishery being reopened - focus your time and effort on a species that is actually in need of protection - it is not like there are not plenty of other species that really do need increased protection.

[hawgdawg]

Acroporas is right on the money. People are going to sign this petition without even knowing the true status of the species. The reality is that there needs to be a controlled and limited harvest of this species if there is to be any sort of ecological balance. They have overtaken reefs and wrecks along the east coast. It's just not natural to see 50 goliaths on a wreck, and not a single other grouper.