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.
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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…