Meet the Goliath Grouper Fish

It's been illegal to harvest the friendly and curious goliath grouper fish for the past 27 years.
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[@untermench3502]

I remember catching Lobster in the Keys back in the 60's. The Grouper would hang-out right behind us and pick off the ones we missed grabbing. They were like big puppy dogs and enjoyed having their lateral line scratched. They would roll on their sides like puppies do. I think they are a great asset just being there. Leave them alone.

[@mantia39]

But it was called a Jewfish then wasn't it?

[@untermench3502]

@@mantia39 That it was, but times change.

[@untermench3502]

@@mantia39 You could always tell if the Groupers were around, even if the water was murky and you couldn't make them out. The Langouste make a cric-crick sound as they swim free. The Groupers make a crunching sound as the snatch the Langouste, so you would hear this cric-crick-crick-crunch.

[@toutainafe1153]

But if the Chinese found that fish they said its good for soup, and every part in the big head it is good for medicine.

[@untermench3502]

@@toutainafe1153 Now, all they have to do is find a pot big enough to hold it. Grouper is good eating too, that's why they were over-fished.

[@MrGrenader8]

“Only eats slow moving fish” Human: *looks curiously like a slow moving fish*

[@homiedodobird2725]

sisyphis I think it can tell the difference between what’s a fish and what’s a person

[@MrGrenader8]

Homie Dodo bird Do you see the size of that thing? I wouldn’t push my luck. I saw a clip of one eating a pretty big shark once. No thanks, I’ll stay on land.

[@homiedodobird2725]

sisyphis well we aren’t on their diet soooo...

[@h2no456]

Why do I want to get in its mouth? Wierd.

[@homiedodobird2725]

H2no we *arent* on their diet I didn’t say are

[@Corkfish1]

I'm a fisherman and have no problem shaming other fisherman for trying to remove protections on these fish. I hope they stay protected.

[@nigel900]

Even if they’re OVERPOPULATED 👍🏻

[@BaconBeast11]

@@nigel900they aren’t overpopulated. Humans are overpopulated.

[@VladimirVladimirov-he1rp]

​@@nigel900Not a single living being is overpopulated, you are brainwashed

[@pakjai5532]

Some humans have no self control, this is why it is important that restrictions remain in place and authorities enforce it. Otherwise, the human greed will have no problem making Dodo out of this amazing fish.

[@theinfamoussenate8329]

@@nigel900They’re not. And if they are to become overpopulated somehow, it’s going to be because of idiots like you who overfished its predators

[@RedPanda74]

My husband and I snorkelled with a giant grouper on the Barrier Reef, he was sweet, curious and very friendly. He’s been there for more than 20 years interacting with tourists. Loved it!

[@Allycat101010]

Imagine if some rando killed him after 20 years just cuz "he might eat MY catch". Ugh.

[@Leaveblank62]

"They are curious and friendly." Wtf. I just came from watching a Goliath groupers eat a fckin shark.

[@Aries_Luck]

Leave Blank Me too.

Same! Everyone's like oh wow they're so friendly and cute I just watched one swallow a freaking shark!

[@agentkai6373]

True

[@Reyfox1]

name one example.

[@d.principe.p]

Same hahaha

[@WhereOceansMeeet]

It seems to me that they're not eating our fish, we're eating theirs. We need to protect these gentle giants.

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

Hmmm.....if I am not mistaken these fishes kinda have their conservation status restored back, but one of the Floridan National Parks gave a highly regulated fishing law on this species (200~ fishes per year).

[@tomatodamashi]

@@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597 environmentalists don't think like that. If a species was once threatened or endangered it is forever. Also, if their culture (western or vegan or whatever) doesn't like to eat that kind of meat, then it is morally wrong for anyone else to. We need to protect our environment, but we also need to be aware of areas that progress is made and if hunting is done sustainably, then I don't see any problem with it.

[@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597]

@@tomatodamashi Did I even comment on the regulated fishing rule?

[@nolyfe4814]

@@explosivemodesonicmauricet1597 by any chance have you seen any sprite videos?

[@CosmicErrata]

Don't let the chonky derps die. Please.

[@twocents777]

Imagine roughing the rigors of wild ocean life for a hundred years, only to be hooked or harpooned by some rich dentist for a photo.

[@theodorgerth9823]

dude fishes dont get extinct from sport fishing (no matter if its morally correct or not) but to fishing for food.

[@twocents777]

@@theodorgerth9823 You drew the conclusion I was leading towards the dangers of extinction? You might as well have commented on how I implied on the near eradication on polio.

[@3PercentNeanderthal]

@@twocents777 lmao...wanna talk about polio?

[@tigeranthony]

GREAT perspective, well said my friend......

[@piergiorgio919]

I love spearfishing but i never shoot groupers, even decently sized ones. They are just too friendly, they suck at hiding and it takes 10 years for them to reproduce. Problem is they are incredibly delucious and others divers are not as clement as me.

[@damienwiley2312]

It looks like it was trying to figure out if you were edible.

[@andydeitrick1455]

😂🤣🤣🤣😂 hmmmmm is my stomach actually big enuf for you this year 😂😂😂

[@damienwiley2312]

@Pol Pot calm down clown, it was just my observation and opinion.

[@shizo_bioc80022]

Pol Pot seems like someone can’t take a joke

[@tomriddle3015]

@@damienwiley2312 Don't worry about Pol Pot. Some people are never happy.

[@mikegil1891]

What did Pol pot say?

[@fluffykitty8842]

Water doggo

[@entropee4974]

I Agree

[@snipinggodgaming3513]

Yes, it is now a very good statement

[@jimby0513]

D r . S p u d reespecc

[@lmeza1983]

More like water bear

[@jackaruby4222]

the best boy

[@thomasj.8081]

I'm in awe at the size of this lad. Absolute unit.

[@chhingpuiipuii9413]

Is it weird that I found the fish really cute?

[@mariasavu3098]

Chhingpuii Puii that is one of the scariest fish i've seen

[@notjei6217]

Everyone has their own opinion and that's okay. :)

[@meenuchoubey7210]

Chhingpuii Puii nah, me too

[@kingmerck1538]

Yeah, thats really weird, that nigga ugly af

[@bts.armypotato4442]

IK HE SO CUUUUTTTTTEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I WANNA PET HIM

[@squillamsquallace2468]

As a scuba diver, it is humbling to be near these guys. A hunting season will be heartbreaking

[@marknew3]

What a loss to all of us, if this amazing fish were to become extinct! Preserve the Goliath Grouper.

[@clydebalcom8252]

You said it, hoss!

[@justwinginitfishing6819]

Always look at both sides of any situation. Can be argued both ways. Fact: The goliath grouper is a major preditorial fish and also feeds on the same sport fish anglers go after. Their numbers have sky rocketed and the last 15 years and the numbers of other sport fish have gone down. The grouper is a major factor in the decline of other sport fish.

[@sthui2866]

Not to mention giant groupers

[@johnlee5799]

Mankind need to stop over using mother nature period on all aspects

[@HuggyBear420]

America needs to ban fishing & hunting all together. America should be vegan

[@youtuubbguy66]

One gulp and the diver is gone, that easy. Yet, it's not happening. Truly amazing. Life's beauty through peoples' experiences. Thanks for sharing.

[@joshuagross3151]

@Sammy N Technically, they used to attack small children, which is one of the reasons theu were fished so aggressively in the past.

[@spencermeeks9749]

The angle 🥱🥱🥱🥱 click bait 😂

[@sarah-iu5mt]

imagine having one in your pool

[@yasssss8281]

Sarah ! lol

[@lordextinction8322]

Sarah ! You’d be lucky to even have a pool afterwards

[@danielekslin3155]

im imagening my self having a pool

[@cjselhorst2267]

daniel ekslin lmfaooo

[@Dell-ol6hb]

Sarah ! It’d probably try to eat you tbh

[@michaelmachung7233]

That's a neat creature! If I were a diver and got approached by one like that, I'd feel fortunate and it'd be a day I'd reflect on for years.

[@zirkaa]

Oooh. It looks sorta adorable in a way!

[@tcb268]

A fish this slow growing is difficult to harvest sustainably.

[@tomservo5007]

tell that to the Chinese who believe it will give them f*cking powers

[@lax4359]

@@tomservo5007 lmao

[@theoneabovemost7865]

@@tomservo5007 idiots, how tf does it give you any benefits Edit: maybe I was too harsh I apologise for this comment made by my past self I won’t remove it

[@alexs7670]

@@theoneabovemost7865 it's just something embedded in their culture. Its why rhino poaching is still a problem.

[@theoneabovemost7865]

@@alexs7670 I know but they are a already quite a developed country and they could perform test whether it actually does help you or not. But alas the government doesn’t even care😔😔

[@JesterHyhuahua]

These big guys are cute!

[@russg1801]

The big ones are all female! That's the general pattern with most, but not all, fish species.

[@MochiSuu]

'The Goliath feeds on their catch' - well sure, the grouper is wel aware that all that lives in the ocean is the angler's catch...... I'm pretty sure you will find a Goliath who has a degree in accounting and excatly knows all the current topics of this world. Amazing analitics from these anglers.

[@neneneq0]

*EVERYONE ITS A POTATO FISH*

[@a_tired_wendigo]

h t a k I now worship you oh mighty drunk god

[@flightsailer]

the fish color potato not a potato fish Albert:Potato Fish bully from cali:ay potato man Albert:HUH *TRIGGGGGERED*

[@alan30189]

h t a k - It’s not a potato grouper, it’s a goliath grouper. Potato groupers have large spots. This one does not.

[@TommyStGeorge]

Two different species. The Potato Grouper (Epinephelus tukula) is native to Australia. The Goliath Grouper or Jewfish (Epinephelus itajara) is native to the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.

[@flightsailer]

Hey Everyone Read This A New Species Are Have Been Added. 1.Coral Grouper (???) Has A Red Body And Yellow Spots Its Kind Of Tropical Lives Near In The LightHouse And Its 98 Years Old. 2.A Colorful Grouper (???) A Same Thing That Name Is Mysterious In A Years Ago Era 3 Has A The Grouper Named Colorful Grouper That Been Lived 300 Years Old That Been Lives In Near Castle River

[@user-rc1fc2oq2c]

Why would anyone want to hurt him. He's like a big sweet cat

[@nigel900]

Why would anyone want to KILL and EAT a Hot Pocket? Hunger, I suppose 👈🏻

[@TheBlargMarg]

Again, I feel like the true meaning of life is to pet everything!

[@Dusty-y6b]

😂😂😂❤❤❤

[@laurazaparanuk5366]

Sweet🙂

[@arnaldorentes5371]

I love them all... Groupers, sea basses, coral trouts, all the beautiful Serranidae family.

[@francisconeto2740]

I could never ever hurt such a gentle creature. Hard to believe some "people" would gladly do it,

[@lordofthestings]

I saw these in an aquarium at Sea World when I was a kid. They were massive and cool and they left a lifelong impression on me.

[@garryharriman7349]

So, diminishing fish stocks is the fault of these friendly, benign giants and not human greed and over fishing?! If the Florida Legislator agree this proposed legislation, then shame on them!

[@BirdWhisperer46]

Know WHO you vote for and don't vote for turds that want to allow fishing these fish.

[@garryharriman7349]

@@BirdWhisperer46 Why bother voting at all in an oiligarchy!

[@rafarga1980]

Grouper: “Oh! It’s another one of them human divers. Okay! Marvel at my greatness! Not gonna eat ya. Too bony. Might be diseased as well.” 🙃

[@rudstarvids2267]

I just want to swim up to it and hug it, Goliath groupers are surprisingly cute!

[@Frank-vc3wi]

Such a lovely creature. I'd love to see one in person at some point.

[@oscarrasmussen7154]

Its cute

[@justaracoonchillinginatoilet69]

Oscar Piano Cuber Yeh. Idk why but sometimes kinda cute about its face XD

[@joshuamarsella]

When you flush your pet fish but it wasn’t actually dead yet.

[@MG-chaotic]

Snorkeled with some in the Bahamas several years ago, they did swim right up to us, they seemed quite friendly ...

[@MyChilepepper]

Goliath: I need to start fishing crabbers now they are taking a lot of my crabs.

[@Dusty-y6b]

❤❤❤❤

[@walaoeh_]

It’s just there to hang out! How cuteeeee

[@oddlyrelaxing480]

Feeling cute, I don't know, might eat a human later.

[@findingliospugolini8979]

They've tried, though there have been no successful attacks yet.

[@joshuagross3151]

@@findingliospugolini8979 Unless you believe the report from the 50s where one supposedly ate a child, or the one in 2019, where a kid was grabbed and dragged under by a Queensland Grouper.

[@rickyrichards7596]

I saw one at the mouth of a cave. It was much bigger than the ones showed here. It took up the entire back of the cave and blended in with the wall. It was hard to detect until I saw this huge eye ball looking at me. My brother could not make it out, but another diver swam down at my waving and saw it too. It was the biggest creature we had ever saw under water. If it had swam out of the cave...divers would have been swimming in all directions trying to get out of it's way! lol It had to be an 800 pounder!

[@richardhead8264]

*Human:* _"They're friendly."_ *Grouper:* _"Could you just position yourself a bit closer to my large mouth please?"_

[@Dusty-y6b]

😂😂😂😂

[@babulchetia5043]

The fish is like " hey..hey guys...what up?"

[@charliebird5299]

Awesome! 😆 Thanks for sharing! 😚 Love these nature features. 😊

[@archonic_]

Wow these are really big! That is awesome! Dang, I just love animals ! Also who thinks they SHOULDN'T open a fish season on these beauties!

[@simsister2774]

FriskyCandy Dog me

[@Sshooter444]

Open a season, why not?

[@pinkspirit445]

Sshooter444 endangered species, that's why

[@judithann7193]

We don't have to hunt every f'ing thing. Guys want to catch a fish that swims up to them. Sheesh.

[@cartah_guy]

Atta boy

[@NatureWatersProductions]

I’m sorry this is gonna sound so weird but I think they’re kind of cute! They’re like a bulldog they’re so ugly that they’re cute! 😂😩🥰

[@arqjavierobregon]

As a spearfishing diver this will be the crown of catches. But you know what? This video makes my mind pet them as a dog instead of killing it. What an amazing fish!!!!

[@WJen8]

I once met a huge goliath grouper and softly held its belly as it gave me a tour of the reefs. Every time I went for a swim it would nudge me for a body rub. Nice fella's these guys. I called him George.

[@michaelwilson939]

Fisherman: they are eating our fish. Goliath: your fish? This is my house/habitat Smh, greed is always the reason

[@Nerval-kg9sm]

We are the world's apex predators. We can hunt in every habitat on Earth.

[@d.dedrick7991]

Just remember THAT when the inter-dimensional aliens appear & turn the tables on us, LOL! 👽👾👍

[@aidandabic5966]

Miki Miyazaki you don’t have to be rich to be greedy.If you think that that fisherman gave a justifiable excuse to help contribute to a species extinctions then I feel bad for you. Every animal has the right to their own ecosystem and we humans should never take that away from them over such a petty problem like “but they’re eating muh bait”.

[@kttee8687]

Spoken like a spoilt 1st world college kid from an upper middle income family. i doubt you'd be talking like that the day that you are faced with a situation where you have no food. Have some respect for fishermen (and farmers) because EVERYTHING that you eat comes from their hard work. They are the ones that catch and harvest food for you and everyone else.

[@michaelwilson939]

Agreed. Far from rich , spoiled or middle class, and the needy aren't the problem, is the greedy. Be blessed.

[@taradead]

Beautiful, friendly animal.

[@spicat16]

I hope it stays illegal to hunt those sweet things! Save Goliath fish!

[@sarahbolger7308]

Wow huge grouper fish fanatical majestic fish gorgeous magnificent creature of sea love it 😍 Save perfect day exploding with rife swim together lovely!👍👍😍😍🍀🤩🤩😇😇👍❤️❤️❤️

[@SomewhatCorrect]

I. Love. Them. They are just so adorable!

[@debraj.thomas661]

Amazing! So gentle too!

[@blackcat6528]

Even though they say it is “harmless “ I would still not swim near it . 😂😂😂

[@lmeza1983]

These can eat sharks, wouldn't call them harmless.

[@doobyboy21]

You don't near to swim near it, it will swim to you !

[@jamesestrella5911]

Probably more dangerous than sharks.

[@thecatthatgoesahh291]

@@jamesestrella5911 ye,even tho large sharks like hammerheads,tiger sharks and great whites prey on these fish,you are more likely to get killed by a grouper then being killed by a great white,this thing can eat a little boy whole in one bite,I’d rather swim with a great white

[@zuutlmna]

Skin Diver magazine, back in the late 1970's, early 80's, used to mention a friendly giant Nassau Grouper that became an attraction at one of the Caribbean dive resorts..

[@difencrosby]

They’re friendly to humans so that makes them a target.

[@Itsmarieanne]

‘Only eats slow moving fish’ Human: *starts to riverdance*

[@migmo1911]

pretty sure an 800 pound bass can eat a 200 pound frog. I hope they are preserved. I love to fish but this is a special fish.

[@decafmocha211]

Save the Goliath Groupers !

[@dannymack1196]

Can you imagine catching one of those things and trying to reel it in. I imagine it fights like crazy

[@winstonelston5743]

There are KZbin videos of catch-and-release, and some are even caught under docks. Again, CATCH AND RELEASE!

[@nynaevejanssen5876]

"Friendly and curious" Florida: "How can we change this?"

[@GuiTechPMW]

chill af

[@Luisin88]

Looks like a friendly fish.

[@chugginbeers]

These fish taste amazing!!! They have the texture of bald eagle loin and taste similar to baby seal. Mmmmmmmmmm!! They also work great for chumming shark and other quality game fish.

[@iputinkayo7795]

Hahaha!

[@yhird]

Grouper: "I know you guys have treats."

[@felipequintana6398]

#savethegoliaths reply=1 person who cares

[@misskitten8573]

Sad they want to hunt them. So big and adorable.

[@prathanamaharaj1195]

It is plain life. Just because fish feed on other fish and the other fish just happens to be the fisherman's catch doesn't mean that you can start to kill big fish that can take years to grow to full size. On top of that, if the goliath fish really can weigh 800 pounds, they it might be impossible to get them eith a rod and a human.

[@yasssss8281]

Felipe Quintana mee

[@hihi-wc5vk]

Felipe Quintana We should save them

[@brainlessdeveloper9630]

"Reply"

[@5610winston]

Study after study shows that if you remove the apex predator from an environment the entire sustem collapses. KEYSTONE SPECIES!

[@Mortthemoose]

This isn't an apex predator though. I still don't agree with lifting the ban. There aren't enough mature fish left in the world, of ANY species!

[@ericlopez483]

I had a dream that I was trying to fish for a walrus with a standard fishing rod

[@truthseeker8429]

How did it go? 😂

[@ginamilite1256]

Soooooo beautiful soo marvelous a gift Gina

[@dillydillydillydillydillydilly]

XTRA THIIICK

[@yasssss8281]

Boi I Be Runnin wtff

[@georgefan2977]

Boi I Be Runnin Xtra Thiccccccccccccç

[@elizabethw.4553]

Boi I Be Runnin *Thicc

[@leveraction767]

Excellent table fare as well

[@Dusty-y6b]

Not as good as Long Pig. Google it.

[@Dusty-y6b]

Not as good as long pig though.

[@fantomagnik]

Looks like a potato tbh

[@oliviamalerich462]

Agnik Halder that makes them even better

[@jarando-popanwanderngayoe5620]

Like me

[@pineapplebruh256]

hell yasss

[@chrisjames3204]

'They are curious and friendly' Humans: Let's kill it.

[@footlong4769]

Wow, look at this amazing fish that is in the decline..... Let's kill it! Goooo Florida!

[@jmoa5758]

I'm an angler and I fish for "fun" because my fun is more important than protecting the wildlife. Of course I don't fish with the intention of getting food, but that feeling of feeling in a live fish just to take a picture with it somehow makes me feel accomplished like an idiot.

[@trunce40]

They are not in decline. The conservation they put in place has these fish back in very very impressive numbers.

[@eg-draw]

@@jmoa5758 oh don't worry nothing could make you feel like an idiot if you already are an idiot :)

[@rohanbhuckory1297]

@@trunce40 So let’s fish them till they’re in decline again, gg humans

[@trunce40]

@@rohanbhuckory1297 read everything i posted. i didnt say overfish them.

[@JayLeePoe]

_friggin awesome-- had no idea there were giant intelligent fish-fish that behaved this way_

[@wendyburrows4178]

Theyre awesome, they need to be protected immediately, humans always think its ONLY about them

[@JayEyeZero]

I don't care how friendly they may be, those things look terrifying.

[@lscarver5]

He'd better be careful. That fish might be hungry.

[@sg.o7139]

I've watched hundreds of hours worth of nature documentaries and never seen this fish before. 😲

[@user-pc7bn5cv8m]

I want this as my pet

[@aspin7977]

lovely fish specially when you're hungry

[@joshuagross3151]

The bigger they are, the more mercury they're saturated with. It's recommended to harvest the small ones; otherwise, you're just poisoning yourself.

[@aspin7977]

@@joshuagross3151 oh really? that's nice thank you it's very educational advice sir. thank you from philippines

[@Zagrash]

He is really friendly.. swallows sharks. OK

[@ponjayanng6962]

"slow moving fish," and in the last video, i watched a grouper snag a barracuda. LOL

[@morizal6535]

"Curious and friendly" they said, i came here after seeing a video where this monster swallow teen shark as big as a adult human with ez, imagine what this fish can do to the diver lmao

[@realtalk675]

Love them ❤ protect them at all cost

[@Junior-qj3vj]

It took me a while to fins it's eyes.

[@BreuckelensFinest]

You're so cute, I want to kiss you 😗😍

[@leonziomarmoreo9225]

Qualcosa di veramente straordinario 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

[@gaylaxia]

NO! >:C They are so cool and cute.

[@angelamagruder5911]

Hi did not know they grow that large,amazing!!!!!!!! Wow!!!!!

[@tylerthegrimm]

i just watched a video of one of these thing's eat a shark....

[@King42089]

"Keep it illegal to harvest us, and you won't get to see how big our mouths can open firsthand." - Goliath Grouper

[@Brwnsugar]

People really believe groupers are sweet, lol their whole mouth is designed to swallow in one gulp.

[@TomimokaDiyuu]

Grouper: hmmm might eat that human over there, but there are other humans and they might kill me

[@eddiekunert2719]

What a cute little fishy! I bet they make cool pets.

[@omnomshibob]

Probably, if you could afford a million quid for the fish tank.

[@lulubelljingles9701]

No these are the same people who will catch an undersize fish you can’t hide a Goliath. once I found a three inch baby grouper laying on the boat ramp. These are the ones over fishing the waters and they come from another country.

[@kaliganegaming1460]

goliath fish : these are weird looking fish with their big eyes

[@planegaper]

The ban on hunting them will continue, proposals for a limited season have been shot down right quick, mostly because we now know how long they take to mature.. good thing too, these things hunt invasive lion fish, a learned behavior, and will help keep numbers down in the future, securing their protection.. besides a grouper that size would not be very tasty, most fish over 3 feet aren't good to eat..

[@golfandhike5598]

Great video . Very clear .

[@x13xmonkey]

Please do not start fishing them again-going backwards❤️🇨🇦

[@xDbrad]

x13x Monkeys People still fish them but they only bring it up to the boat then release it

[@swampwizardmf]

They are not going backwards it would be a very very limited season and coming from someone who has fished florida all there lives their population has exploded there are literally hundreds under almost every deep water bridge and structure in florida and will eat any fish, shark, or even stingray that they see a fisherman fighting.

[@BerserkerCade77]

Human: “awh” *scratches chin* Fish: ⚫️👄⚫️

[@terryogletree2128]

Manage them , sell licenses to harvest slot size fish similar to snook regulations

[@cikguzam1170]

very nice...exciting moment with big fish

[@DigiMatt52]

If they grow that big, and live that long, a limited license to grab one doesn't seem like a terrible idea. Can use the cost of the license to fund species consevation efforts.

[@tavishierlihy]

@randomguy8196 politicians dont work at the state fisheries department, biologists do. The people considering and evaluating decisions like this are NOT publicly elected officials buddy. You think the state senators and the governor are out doing fish population studies? Or maybe perhaps these officials operate and govern based on the advices and evaluations of professionals in the respected fields of study?

[@tavishierlihy]

@randomguy8196 we can certainly speculate about what an elected official/politician will or will not do but that'd be fruitless. In your initial comment you stated "politicians shouldn't make the decisions themselves..." a view with which I agree entirely. My response was simply pointing out politicians do not make these decisions themselves, they do it under the guidance of state and federally funded non-government organizations as well as government departments. Can a politician potentially go against this advice? or against public opinion on an issue? Sure they can (no shortage of bad apples in every profession), but being that their job is based solely on the electoral process and requires the continued favor and popularity with voters... The simple response to your statement of them making the decisions themselves? They dont make the decisions themselves.

[@tavishierlihy]

@randomguy8196 Some food for thought on this specific issue... Goliath grouper populations are recovering and their numbers have been consistently increasing for well over a quarter of a century now. It's been protected from harvest in the united states since 1990, and by 1993 most other Caribbean countries had done the same. Despite their large size and long life, groupers reach sexual maturity quite rapidly, females as young as 6 years and males even quicker than that. That's 5+ generations of recovery, which has allowed the International Union for the Conservation of Nature to reduce the endangered listing of goliath groupers from critical to vulnerable (that's a 2 point recovery on the IUCN's scale in 30 years, an unprecedented recovery). At that rate of recovery, goliath groupers as a species may no longer even be listed in the "threatened" categories by as soon as 2030.

[@iamseagull5609]

*Goliath Groupers is so nice to be a pet* *Fish body, human heart* *LMAO*