Editing Atlantic goliath grouper (section)

==Conservation==
Atlantic goliath groupers are highly susceptible to rapid population decline due to [[overfishing]] and the exploitation of spawning aggregations.<ref name=":3" /> The species has a brief annual larval settlement period, making the species' abundance extremely vulnerable to outside factors such as poor weather conditions.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Cheung|first1=WWL|last2=Sadovy|first2=Y|last3=Braynen|first3=MT|last4=Gittens|first4=LG|date=2013-02-22|title=Are the last remaining Nassau grouper ''Epinephelus striatus'' fisheries sustainable? Status quo in the Bahamas|journal=Endangered Species Research|volume=20|issue=1|pages=27–39|doi=10.3354/esr00472 |doi-access=free|hdl=10722/190416|hdl-access=free}}</ref> High mercury concentrations in older males may lead to liver damage and/or death and reduce egg viability.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Evers|first1=DC|last2=Graham|first2=RT|last3=Perkins|first3=CR|last4=Michener|first4=R|last5=Divoll|first5=T|date=2009-07-01|title=Mercury concentrations in the goliath grouper of Belize: an anthropogenic stressor of concern|journal=Endangered Species Research|volume=7|pages=249–256|doi=10.3354/esr00158 |doi-access=free}}</ref> The degradation of [[mangrove]]s, which serve as an important [[nursery habitat]] for the species provide a major threat to juvenile survival.<ref name="IUCN"/> The species was previously classified as [[Critically Endangered|critically endangered]] in 2011 and is currently classified as [[Vulnerable species|vulnerable]] in 2021.<ref name="IUCN"/> A 2016 stock assessment model indicates that there has been an absolute population reduction of around 33% from 1950 to 2014. There has been a complete [[Moratorium (law)|moratorium]] on the fishing of this species in continental U.S. waters since 1990 and in U.S. Caribbean waters since 1993.<ref name="IUCN"/>

In October 2021, Florida Fish and Wildlife proposed to allow the fishing of 200 juvenile goliath grouper per year including up to 50 from Everglades National Park. Recreational fishing of the species would be permitted in all state waters except those of Palm Beach County south through the Atlantic coast of the Keys.<ref>{{Cite web|title=FWC approves a draft proposal for limited, highly regulated fishing of goliath grouper|url=https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/FLFFWCC/bulletins/2f648bf|access-date=2021-12-06|website=Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission|language=en}}</ref> The proposal was approved in March 2022, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission planning to issue 200 permits per year through a lottery system, which came into effect in the spring of 2023.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 3, 2022 |title=FWC approves limited recreational harvest of goliath grouper in state waters |url=https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/goliath-comm-322/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230226185040/https://myfwc.com/news/all-news/goliath-comm-322/ |archive-date=February 26, 2023 |access-date=2023-02-26 |website=Florida Fish And Wildlife Conservation Commission |language=en}}</ref>