Despite being split as a board, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission agreed to move forward with a plan to allow limited harvest of Goliath grouper, which has been closed to harvest since 1990.
Commissioners Rodney Barreto, Robert Spottswood and Gary Lester seemed to favor reopening the fishery to a limited harvest, while commissioners Mike Sole, Steve Hudson and Gary Nicklaus argued against it at this time. Commissioner Sonya Rood opposed allowing harvest of Goliath groupers from artificial wrecks and spawning areas that are home to large concentrations of lumbering fish can weigh in excess off 300 pounds.
However, the commission voted, with Sole being the lone dissenter, to move forward with allowing a strictly regulated and severely limited harvest of the species. Nicklaus and Hudson said they voted only to bring the issue back for the board for further discussion.