On Thursday, November 20th, representatives from the Lower Keys Guides Association, Keys Keeper, Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, and the Snook and Gamefish Foundation attended the FWC Commissioner’s meeting in Key Largo, FL to express their concern for the declining number of Great Barracuda in southern Florida. Although the state of Florida has a recreational bag limit of 100 pounds of barracuda or 2 fish per-day per-person, commercial fishing for barracuda is largely unregulated. That means that any fisherman with a basic commercial license can harvest an unlimited quantity of barracuda it they so choose.
Although the group’s request for a barracuda stock assessment and extended research and protection was denied, the Commissioners did agree that the issue is worthy of workshops in the future.
No dates have been given for those workshops.
