7 ms·

This series of photos from a Key West fishing tour company really drives it home: https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/big-fish-stories-ge

This series of photos from a Key West fishing tour company really drives it home: https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/big-fish-stories-getting-littler https://www.npr.org/sections/krulwich/2014/02/05/257046530/b...

paulcole 7y ago
As someone who grew up fishing in the Keys, there are quite a few problems with the analysis and the article. 1. Goliath Grouper (formerly known as Jewfish) have been protected in Florida for quite awhile — meaning none could have been brought in for the more recent photos at all (these are the huge fish in the first few photos). Anyone who fishes in South Florida knows how abundant these fish are now. If a single person wanted to (and the law allowed it) they could easily bring in a half-ton of fish in a day. In some places it would be possible to do this from shore, without a boat. 2. Catch and release for species shown in the older photos: Permit, Amberjack (known to be particularly worm-filled) Ladyfish, shark species is greatly on the rise as modern fishermen in Florida have no interest in eating those fish (Ladyfish particularly are considered trash fish and/or bait, although they are quite fun to catch). Charter captains will STRONGLY encourage their release. 3. Using average is a poor metric when people were bringing in multiple 300lb.+ Goliath Grouper and now the emphasis is on keeping smaller food fish: Yellowtail Snapper, Grunts, etc. 4. Fishing in the Keys is HIGHLY seasonal. There’s no indication in the article if the photos are from the same time of year. I would guess the older Permit-filled photo is from the winter and the newer photo with Yellowtail Snapper and a few other smaller fish is from spring or early summer. 5. The specifically mentioned shrinkage in shark size is again related to both laws and changing priorities in fishermen and charter captains. Very few people will consider keeping a shark these days unless the fish is dead when it gets to the boat or it’s a small Blacktip or Mako that might be good eating.

paulcole 7y ago

As someone who grew up fishing in the Keys, there are quite a few problems with the analysis and the article. 1. Goliath Grouper (formerly known as Jewfish) have been protected in Florida for quite awhile — meaning none could have been brought in for the more recent photos at all (these are the huge fish in the first few photos). Anyone who fishes in South Florida knows how abundant these fish are now. If a single person wanted to (and the law allowed it) they could easily bring in a half-ton of fish in a day. In some places it would be possible to do this from shore, without a boat. 2. Catch and release for species shown in the older photos: Permit, Amberjack (known to be particularly worm-filled) Ladyfish, shark species is greatly on the rise as modern fishermen in Florida have no interest in eating those fish (Ladyfish particularly are considered trash fish and/or bait, although they are quite fun to catch). Charter captains will STRONGLY encourage their release. 3. Using average is a poor metric when people were bringing in multiple 300lb.+ Goliath Grouper and now the emphasis is on keeping smaller food fish: Yellowtail Snapper, Grunts, etc. 4. Fishing in the Keys is HIGHLY seasonal. There’s no indication in the article if the photos are from the same time of year. I would guess the older Permit-filled photo is from the winter and the newer photo with Yellowtail Snapper and a few other smaller fish is from spring or early summer. 5. The specifically mentioned shrinkage in shark size is again related to both laws and changing priorities in fishermen and charter captains. Very few people will consider keeping a shark these days unless the fish is dead when it gets to the boat or it’s a small Blacktip or Mako that might be good eating.