St. Pete man charged after harvesting goliath grouper
Malcom Woods, 63, 'willfully harvested and kept' a goliath grouper he caught in the waters off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Sunday.
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Goliath groupers were overfished throughout the 20th century and suffered large population losses as a result. Harvesting the fish was prohibited in 1990, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began allowing limited recreational harvesting in 2022.
Harvesting is only allowed from March 1 to May 31, and anglers have to hope to get one of the 200 permits available each year.
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Even if you do get a permit, which are only awarded through a random lottery, you're limited to only one fish, which has to be between 24 and 36 inches.
In Woods' case, he was fishing in the off-season, did not have a permit and caught a fish that was too small to be harvested. He was charged with two misdemeanors: possession of a goliath grouper and possession of a goliath grouper during closed season.
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St. Pete man charged after harvesting goliath grouper
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — A St. Petersburg man was charged after illegally harvesting a goliath grouper, according to an arrest affidavit from the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office. Malcom Woods, 63, 'willfully harvested and kept' a goliath grouper he caught in the waters off the Sunshine Skyway Bridge on Sunday. Have you seen me? FWC asking for help documenting rare, shimmering snake Goliath groupers were overfished throughout the 20th century and suffered large population losses as a result. Harvesting the fish was prohibited in 1990, but the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission began allowing limited recreational harvesting in 2022. Harvesting is only allowed from March 1 to May 31, and anglers have to hope to get one of the 200 permits available each year. Woman bitten by alligator while hiking in Florida Even if you do get a permit, which are only awarded through a random lottery, you're limited to only one fish, which has to be between 24 and 36 inches. In Woods' case, he was fishing in the off-season, did not have a permit and caught a fish that was too small to be harvested. He was charged with two misdemeanors: possession of a goliath grouper and possession of a goliath grouper during closed season. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Solve the daily Crossword
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