Lion Fish Spearing off Key largo

[hubbles]

I'll be in Key Largo with family in May and am wondering if spearing lionfish (say with a Hawaiian Sling) is legal in the SPA portions of the Keys? And if so is it common for the dive ops to allow customers to capture lionfish on dives?

 

[Capt Gary]

It is legal to spear lion fish without a fishing license in the Keys, but only outside the SPA areas. You can take lion fish in the SPA areas with a net only if you have a permit to do so.
Several dive shops in the area do have lion fish hunts, including ours. If. Divers wanting to take a small pole spear on our boats to hunt for lion fish are welcome to do so as long as we are not diving in a SPA.

Good Diving

 

[deeper thoughts]

If I am correct you cannot have a speargun on your boat while in the protected areas

 

[Fishspearit]

A great reason to plan your dive trips outside of the S.P.A.'s. There are plenty of excellent dive sites in the Keys where you are free to spear all of them that you like.

There's a certain irony in a management plan that only allows the effective removal (versus live capture) of a problematic, invasive predator outside of the very area that is supposed to be protected.

 

[Chugwhump]

There's a certain irony in a management plan that only allows the effective removal (versus live capture) of a problematic, invasive predator outside of the very area that is supposed to be protected.

If I may say, it is not irony...
It is arrogant stupidity from bureaucrats that for the most part think we dive with oxygen tanks and have semi-automatic spear-guns.
Trying to convince the dolts that administer the SPA's that we want to use teeny barbless bolts to cull Lions, and for the most part they cannot be bothered to listen...again...for the most part.
They are not all ignorant lazy idiots collecting their federal paychecks, there are just way too many of them.

Chug
Eats 'em

 

[freeclimbmtb]

Ha. I always laugh when my non diver friends ask me where I get my oxygen tanks filled...