Today ironically, on World Wildlife Day, the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) chose to ignore scientists, the diving community, and the overwhelming majority of their stakeholders to appease special interests. The new rule to allow the killing of 200 juvenile goliaths a year passed 3-1 and in the absence of three commissioners, including FWC Chairman Rodney Barreto.
The FWC believes that goliath populations are recovering, and while it is true that their numbers have grown since near extinction, it has taken over 31 years to reach the status of recovering. Goliaths remain listed as a vulnerable species under the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). The probability of their survival depends on the management of threats they face. Such threats include overexploitation, poaching, habitat loss, and other environmental factors such as red tide. Several giant goliaths have washed ashore already this year due to red tide. This doesn't account for the dead fish that never made it to shore.
The survival of juvenile goliaths is contingent on mangrove habitats where they spend the first five years of their life. We have lost one-third of our mangrove habitats, our waters are polluted, and algae blooms (red tide) are progressively worsening.
Goliath groupers are ecological engineers whose survival is critical in maintaining a balanced and healthy marine ecosystem. Their presence holds the system together, creating diversity and abundance all around them.
The FWC's decision will have a ripple effect for generations to come. Special interests and new opportunities to kill should never take precedence over science and overwhelming opposition from stakeholders, who are all a part of the public trust. All of the trust's beneficiaries, including those who choose not to partake in the killing of wildlife, should be considered, especially when your final decisions have the potential to damage the longevity of a species.
Our hearts ache for the goliaths and the negative impact this will have on this species and the underwater ecosystems they keep healthy and balanced.
Thank you to everyone that has followed our calls to action over the years. We are looking into ways to fight this!
Please contact the FWC Commissioners and let them know how you feel about their decision.
https://myfwc.com/contact/fwc-office/senior-staff/commissioners/