Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Barracuda off the hook?
Wildlife commission considering putting limits on catching notorious predator fish
They have needle-sharp teeth, the speed of Olympic sprinters and ferocious dispositions. Yet despite their formidable natural advantages, great barracudas have been disappearing from South Florida’s coastal waters.
A state plan would impose fishing limits on these sinister-looking but generally harmless predators. It is supported by charter captains, divers and scientists, all concerned about the fate of one of the most distinctive and sought-after marine species in South Florida.
“Barracudas are right up there with sharks with the fascination people have, because they’re so fast and so shiny,” said Jeff Torode, owner of South Florida Diving Headquarters in Pompano Beach. “They look menacing, so people love to see them, even though they’re really not menacing at all. In the ’80s they were still fairly prevalent. Now, as divers, we see them very, very infrequently.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission plans to vote Nov. 17 in St. Petersburg on new protections for barracuda. The plan would protect small and large barracuda, banning the catch of any shorter than 15 inches or longer than 3 feet, with one exception per boat to allow for trophy-sized catches.
The so-called slot limits would apply only to Collier, Monroe, Mi-
ami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach and Martin counties, where anglers and divers say the predators have been disappearing.
“We have been hearing concerns from members of the public for several years, with concern expressed by stakeholders in Palm Beach and Broward counties as long as five years ago and then from Keys stakeholders in more recent years,” said Amanda Nalley, spokeswoman for the wildlife commission.
Barracuda can reach a length of 6 feet, although such monsters are rarely seen. They live in coastal waters, in coral reefs, mangroves and seagrass, and can reach a top speed of 27 mph
Although humans have been bitten by barracuda, scientists don’t consider these to be predatory attacks. Rather they are cases of mistaken identity, in which the flash of a hand, foot or diving knife in the water looks like a fish. Other cases involve a barracuda attempting to steal a catch from a diver out spearfishing.
Little hard data exists for barracuda, since there isn’t much of a commercial fishery for them, the wildlife commission’s Nalley said. But based on underwater surveys of marine species, as well as years of reports from people who fish and dive, she said, the evidence is strong that the species has been declining in South Florida.
Possible reasons for the decline including increase commercial spearfishing and the catch of barracuda for use as chum to attract fish, she said. But recreational fishing remains by far the biggest source of barracuda mortality, she said.
By banning the catch of the biggest and smallest barracuda, the plan attempts to increase the population overall. It increases the chance that juveniles will survive to maturity and allows the biggest fish, which are the biggest breeders, to continue adding to the population.
“The proposed slot limit would also conserve the largest fish, which provide an exciting catch-and-release experience for anglers and are highly valued by South Florida’s recreational dive industry,” according to a presentation to be made to the wildlife commission next month.
Some charter captains oppose a maximum size limit because they want to give their clients the best opportunity to catch trophy-sized fish. Others say the rules should be stricter.
Aaron Black, science and conservation director for the Bonefish and Tarpon Trust, a conservation group, said the proposed size ranges remains too broad.
“Given that the new regulations are being implemented for barracuda because there appears to have been a significant decline in abundance, one can assume that the fishery/species is not so healthy that it can handle such a broad slot size for harvest,” he said in an email.
But he supported the proposal in general as protecting a species important for anglers. “They’re a lot of fun to catch. They jump and those types of things.”
And he said they provide unknown benefits as a key part of coastal ecosystems.
“The barracuda is an important predator in coastal waters,” he said. “Removing a predator causes all kinds of other changes.”