Miami – In Florida, you cannot kill a tarpon – silver-plated fishing fishing that catch and release anglers are proud of – without special permission. You can’t spearfish with almost half of your Florida key either.
Deputies with the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office said last week that a Port St. Lucie man did both, which put him in jail.
Brayan Martinez Perez, 23, was booked on June 29 for illegally harvesting a tarpon and spear washing outside the area where the lock was permitted. He was still in prison with a judge who hadn’t set bonds on Monday afternoon.
Deputy Deputy Luis Guirdine, who works on the Marine Corps patrol, saw Martinez Perez diving and spear fishing on Islamorada’s miles marker 65, according to the Sheriff’s Office. State law prohibits spear fishing with long key bridge keys starting at Mile Marker 64, north to the Miami-Dade County Line.
According to the sheriff’s office, Martinez Perez also hugged the mangrove snap with a spear. This is a legal fish to harvest, but not a spear at the top key.
According to Florida’s Fish and Wildlife Conservation Board, it can grow to 8 feet long and weigh up to 8 feet and weigh up to 300 pounds.
The Sheriff’s Office released photos of the Tarpon who was killed on Sunday.
The state’s largest state record for Tarpon won is £243, the Wildlife Commission says. According to the agency, it was captured on February 17, 1975 near Key West.
