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Spearfishing Regulations This area is for the topic of existing or proposed Spearfishing Regulations.

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Old 02-11-2017, 08:20 AM   #46
Native Diver
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Re: Hogfish

With regulations, we could have hogfish like this easily.

We got these last weekend in Bahamas
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Old 02-12-2017, 06:08 AM   #47
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Re: Hogfish

Bahamas is the last place to use as a fair comparison. Bahamas has way more habitat that is hit much less than the keys(but that is also a whole new topic of overfishing) In the last 2-3 years people didn't really give hog fish the notariety that they do now. Hell at any given time in South Florida at a traffic light there will be 3 cars or more with a hog fish sticker on the back window..... that's really saying something.
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Old 02-12-2017, 11:34 AM   #48
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Re: Hogfish

Quote:
Originally Posted by Snapper Mangler View Post
Bahamas is the last place to use as a fair comparison. Bahamas has way more habitat that is hit much less than the keys(but that is also a whole new topic of overfishing) In the last 2-3 years people didn't really give hog fish the notariety that they do now. Hell at any given time in South Florida at a traffic light there will be 3 cars or more with a hog fish sticker on the back window..... that's really saying something.
Well, the topic is exactly that. Overfishing. The Bahamas is not overfished and has bigger fish... hmmm Having a ton of people diving in florida and a 12" hog fish length, means, pretty soon you don't have many hogfish over 12.

What I am saying is in support of limits and sizes. I think a slot size would be good for hogs.... let them breed!
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Old 02-14-2017, 11:17 AM   #49
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Re: Hogfish

I don't think the Bahamas even have a minimum size for hog fish. (I wouldn't be surprised if the Bahamas are overfished in a few years now that all the Miami guys just go there instead of the keys)

Bottom line is, yes, south Florida is overfished. Size limit should have been raised YEARS ago. And that's why some people are mad about the massive changes. I don't think anyone disagrees about them raising the minimum size and cutting down the bag limit.

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Old 02-14-2017, 11:24 AM   #50
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Re: Hogfish

Quote:
Originally Posted by Native Diver View Post
Well, the topic is exactly that. Overfishing. The Bahamas is not overfished and has bigger fish... hmmm Having a ton of people diving in florida and a 12" hog fish length, means, pretty soon you don't have many hogfish over 12.

What I am saying is in support of limits and sizes. I think a slot size would be good for hogs.... let them breed!
+1.

If the whole purpose behind this is to let fish get bigger then we need the bigger hogs around to pass on the genes. The problem right now isn't a low population of hogs. It's that the hogs are changing sex at a smaller size, keeping the average fish size small. We have a gene problem. A slot limit is the way to go.
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Old 02-14-2017, 11:46 AM   #51
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Re: Hogfish

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+1.

If the whole purpose behind this is to let fish get bigger then we need the bigger hogs around to pass on the genes. The problem right now isn't a low population of hogs. It's that the hogs are changing sex at a smaller size, keeping the average fish size small. We have a gene problem. A slot limit is the way to go.
I completely agree
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Old 02-15-2017, 08:58 AM   #52
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Re: Hogfish

Typical Biscayne hogs in the 70s.....
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Old 02-15-2017, 09:46 AM   #53
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Re: Hogfish

I disagree with more laws and rules and would be happier with more enforcement of the existing rules and laws. Its the poachers that are the problem both licensed commercially and commercially unlicensed.
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Old 02-15-2017, 12:34 PM   #54
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Re: Hogfish

Er,wondering how a licensed commercial diver could possibly poach.There is no trip limit yet and there is no season,only a total catch.

I can see how a recreational poacher could happen,either shooting too many or selling their catch.

Not that anyone with even a shred of math ability can not see that 1000s or 10s of thousands of rec guys are going to have a bigger effect than a couple dozen commercial divers.
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Old 02-16-2017, 09:53 AM   #55
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Re: Hogfish

Quote:
Originally Posted by 100days-a-year View Post
Er,wondering how a licensed commercial diver could possibly poach.There is no trip limit yet and there is no season,only a total catch.

I can see how a recreational poacher could happen,either shooting too many or selling their catch.

Not that anyone with even a shred of math ability can not see that 1000s or 10s of thousands of rec guys are going to have a bigger effect than a couple dozen commercial divers.
In our neck of the woods honest rec guys are mostly weekend warriors. Its the rec guys that think that they are commercial guys and illegally sell their catch to restaurants. Its rampid in S. Florida.

Then you have the commercial guys that dont follow the laws and get away with selling short fish. There was a recent fwc case in the florida keys like this.
The fact is they dont catch these guys.

I can go out on any given Sunday and watch lobster poachers in the creeks and they dont get caught. And thats on a Sunday. Its a free for all on the week days.
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Old 02-16-2017, 10:51 AM   #56
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Re: Hogfish

"A popular Stock Island-based fish house was accused of illegally possessing 123 undersized hogfish on Monday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The FWC received an anonymous tip the same day that a Fishbusterz employee was filleting undersized hogfish and arrived to find just that as well as 47 undersized in a nearby orange bin by the fillet table along with 76 undersized hogfish elsewhere on the property, said FWC spokesman Officer Bobby Dube.

In all, FWC Officers Martin Messier, John Martino and Glen Way found about 1,400 pounds of hogfish on site, but not all of those were deemed to be illegally undersized fish, Dube said.

Many of the hogfish had speargun holes in them, which is the most popular form of harvesting the species, Dube said.

Last year, the FWC approved reducing the bag limit and increasing the size limit for hogfish.

The FWC board agreed to increase the size limit from 12 to 16 inches in Atlantic waters and from 12 to 14 inches in Gulf waters
but have yet to set a date to implement the changes.

Commercial fisherman, like those who sell to fish houses, would be limited to harvesting 25 pounds of hogfish per trip in South Florida waters, in another new measure that also has yet to be implemented.

The board also agreed to lower the recreational (non- commercial) bag limit from five to one fish per person per day in another new measure awaiting implementation."

Copy and pasted from another site.
Thats just one restaurant.
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Old 02-16-2017, 02:12 PM   #57
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Re: Hogfish

Quote:
Originally Posted by humpinit View Post
"A popular Stock Island-based fish house was accused of illegally possessing 123 undersized hogfish on Monday, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The FWC received an anonymous tip the same day that a Fishbusterz employee was filleting undersized hogfish and arrived to find just that as well as 47 undersized in a nearby orange bin by the fillet table along with 76 undersized hogfish elsewhere on the property, said FWC spokesman Officer Bobby Dube.

In all, FWC Officers Martin Messier, John Martino and Glen Way found about 1,400 pounds of hogfish on site, but not all of those were deemed to be illegally undersized fish, Dube said.

Many of the hogfish had speargun holes in them, which is the most popular form of harvesting the species, Dube said.

Last year, the FWC approved reducing the bag limit and increasing the size limit for hogfish.

The FWC board agreed to increase the size limit from 12 to 16 inches in Atlantic waters and from 12 to 14 inches in Gulf waters
but have yet to set a date to implement the changes.

Commercial fisherman, like those who sell to fish houses, would be limited to harvesting 25 pounds of hogfish per trip in South Florida waters, in another new measure that also has yet to be implemented.

The board also agreed to lower the recreational (non- commercial) bag limit from five to one fish per person per day in another new measure awaiting implementation."

Copy and pasted from another site.
Thats just one restaurant.
Why is it the commercial's fault restaurants are buying undersized fish from sporties abusing the resource?
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Old 02-17-2017, 02:09 PM   #58
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Re: Hogfish

Quote:
Originally Posted by kmoose View Post
Why is it the commercial's fault restaurants are buying undersized fish from sporties abusing the resource?
I agree. Its not just the commercial guys selling fish. Down here at least.
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Old 02-22-2017, 11:02 AM   #59
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Re: Hogfish

Hogfish were imports ;
that is what the paper failed to include in the story .
All the undersize hogs came in sealed Styrofoam boxes and their origin was Mexico,
via a Miami distributor .
They were not locally harvested fish. The truth is in the details .
The distributer had no idea , he delivered 1200 lbs to Fishbusters .
10 % of those fish were short , this is common .
I worked as Manager of Half shell market 2 winters ago , and it was common to have
that % to be short in boxes of imported hogfish .
You open a sealed box , from another country , and it contains some shorts .
Do you call FWCC and create a huge hassle for yourself , your distributer , who was unaware of the fish in a sealed box ?
The fish passed import inspection , where does the blame start and end ?
The fish are cut , and used first . Most are never more than an 1/2 inch short , and
Yes, most are speared .
Unfortunate Yes , waste a dead fish ? No.
That is the way it is , you can't completely control imports .
Ever since FWCC lost their Federal funding in this area , they go after every ticket , no matter how small .
What they need to do is ask how did these fish regularly get past inspectors at the Port of entry ?
More to this story , than a bust.
btw: fishbusters is a fish house , not a restaurant , no backdoor sales there.

Last edited by slowboat; 02-22-2017 at 11:15 AM. Reason: added fish house not a restaurant
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Old 02-22-2017, 12:18 PM   #60
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Re: Hogfish

I've seen my fair share of undersized (albeit not by much) hogs at restaurants in the keys . It doesn't bother me much because I'm aware how much of our "fresh off the local dock" fish comes from mexico. At that point does the fish even have to meet our regs? I mean, it was harvested in another country... if they do have to meet our regs I'll be curious to see 16in hogs on plates down in the keys at all the local tourist restaurants.
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