In Pompano Beach, Florida, a man was arrested on suspicion of illegal spearfishing for protected Goliath Grouper and obstruction of officers upon capsizing his canoe to obscure evidence. Spearfishing in Florida is illegal within 100 yards of a public beach and spearfishing for Goliath Grouper is expressly prohibited.
Pompano Beach man allegedly capsized canoe to obscure illegal catch
The Pompano Beach man, Juan Nealon, 42, was charged with seven misdemeanors. Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) officers shared on social media that they responded to reports of spearfishing, and when they arrived at the scene found Nealon paddling a canoe.
FWC officers attempted to contact Nealon and ask him to return to shore. In response, Nealon paddled farther from shore then allegedly capsized his canoe on purpose in order to hide the illegal catch. An FWC officer recovered a speargun and a 100-pound Goliath Grouper with a spear in its body. Harvest of the Goliath Grouper is prohibited without a permit and highly regulated; only 200 permits are available yearly.
The Goliath Grouper in Florida
The Goliath Grouper can reach 800 pounds and eight feet in length. Goliath Groupers conservation status is vulnerable and the species is considered susceptible to overfishing due to decreased habitat for juveniles and a tendency to gather in high numbers in predictable locations during spawning events, according to the FWC.
After nearly reaching extinction in the 1980s, fishing for the Goliath Grouper opened up for the first time in 2023, with just 200 permits available and a short season spanning from March to May; most of southeast Florida was excluded from the opening. The new rule was controversial, according to WRLN Public Media, with the commission receiving criticism for reopening fishing without enough information on the Goliath Grouper population; the commission argued that data from anglers could help fill that gap, while over 100 scientists signed a letter opposing the rule citing a lack of acceptable method for measuring the impact of harvest.
The FWC encourages the public to report potential wildlife violations by downloading the FWC Wildlife Alert app, calling the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (888-404-3922), or submitting a tip online at bit.ly/MyFWC_WildlifeAlert.
The Goliath Grouper illegally speared in Florida. MyFWC Florida Fish and Wildlife | Facebook
