Thread: Hogfish
View Single Post
Old 11-28-2016, 05:16 PM   #22
slowboat
Registered User
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: Key West
Posts: 302
Re: Hogfish

That may be true as you go from west to east in the Keys and interaction and contact with divers becomes more frequent , increasing the chance of said hogfish being harvested .
Since a few people are on the west end of that migration pattern , we see those fish first ,
and theoretically pick off the big ones first.
Larger fish are not a problem west of key west .
but according to that logic , New Ground should produce dinosaur hogs . but , realistically
doesn't have hogs any bigger than ones I get in the shadow of the cruise ship.
Yet , there are schools of 10 " hogs there along side a school of 18" hogs.
just like inshore here in Key West.
At what point geographically is all this impact occurring ?
At what point do those hogfish from the northwestern Gulf cross over and head east toward Miami ?
Personally I don't think all hogfish fit the "mold" of what potential hogfish growth "could" be.
Like people , we are people , short , tall , fat, thin , all body types .
we are not all the perfect human body , or attain an ideal physique .
Aren't fish the same ? You are what your genes provide , fish or human.
So , perhaps we have an unrealistic expectation of what the fishery should be , based on an idealized biomass.
Remember it takes a lot of crabs , shrimp and shellfish , and urchins to support a healthy population.
Also a healthy soft coral base and purple sea fan forest ,
which means we need clean water , not the algae runoff from upstream.
It' s a band aid on a gaping wound.
slowboat is offline   Reply With Quote