Tuesday, September 29, 2009

State fishery managers will be in Key Colony Beach on Wednesday night to ask Monroe County divers and spear fishermen for their input on possible changes to permit fishing rules.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission is considering extending its fishing laws for permit into adjacent federal waters, where currently there are no fishing quotas or rules on fishing gear for the prize trophy fish.

State fishing regulations prohibit spearfishing of permit, snook, bonefish, red drum and spotted seatrout. The state has hook-and-line quotas for recreational permit fishing that allow for six fish a day for permit between 11 and 20 inches in length. Fishermen can have no more than one permit per day for fish greater than 20 inches, according to state rules.

The agency can expand its fishing regulations into neighboring federal waters, three miles offshore on the Atlantic side and nine miles on the bay side, if federal fishery managers do not have their own fishing rules.

The call for a greater protection for permit has come about in the past two years, as the species has become an easy target with the creation of artificial reefs and other man-made offshore structures, where the fish now gather and spawn.

After becoming aware nearly two years ago that there are no fishing rules for permit in adjoining federal waters, the agency began considering extending its rules to federal waters -- and possibly prohibiting all fishing for permit during the species' spawning period. Spawning season runs from March to August, with the peak in May, June and July, fisheries biologist Jessica McCawley said.

"We know so very little about their spawning activities," McCawley said. "A closed season may not be the best way to protect permit, but extending state rules into federal waters could help."

The proposed changes have stirred heated debate on spearfishing blogs, with some spear fishermen saying the proposal is based on junk science, and permit are not currently overfished. They also questioned spearfishing's effect on the species as a whole.

Lower Keys spear fisherman and underwater photographer Don DeMaria argued that a closed season during the spawning period for all permit fishing, except catch and release, would be good for the permit species.

"There should be no retention of permit during the spawn no matter what type of fishing," DeMaria said. "You can't leave them without protections."

State fishery biologists will hold a public workshop at 6 p.m. Wednesday at Key Colony Beach City Hall, 600 W. Ocean Drive.

State fishery managers will be at the same location at 6 p.m. Oct. 7 for a workshop on proposed changes to bonefish fishing regulations. The agency is considering tightening some restrictions on that trophy fish as well, including making bonefish catch-and-release only.

tohara@keysnews.com