Man illegally speared protected tarpon in Florida Keys, Monroe deputy says

David Goodhue, Miami Herald on Jul 2, 2025

Published in Outdoors

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MIAMI — In Florida, you can’t kill a tarpon — a silver-plated game fish prized by catch-and-release anglers — without a special permit. You also can’t spearfish in almost half of the Florida Keys.

Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies say a Port St. Lucie man did both on Sunday, which landed him in jail.

Brayan Martinez Perez, 23, was booked on charges of illegally harvesting a tarpon and spearfishing outside of permitted areas of the Keys, both second-degree misdemeanors punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a maximum fine of $500. He was still in jail with a judge yet to set bond Monday afternoon.

According to the sheriff’s office, Deputy Luis Guiardinu, who works marine patrol, saw Martinez Perez diving and spearfishing at mile marker 65 in Islamorada. State law prohibits spearfishing in the Keys from the Long Key Bridge, which begins around mile marker 64, north to the Miami-Dade County line.

Martinez Perez also speared a mangrove snapper, according to the sheriff’s office, which is a legal fish to harvest, but not by spearing in the Upper Keys.

Tarpon, which can grow up to 8 feet long and weigh up to 300 pounds, are not considered a good food fish and can only be harvested by anglers who buy a special tag in advance in pursuit of a state record, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

The sheriff’s office released a photo of the tarpon killed Sunday, which appeared to be about a foot long, meaning it was a young fish.

The state record for the largest tarpon caught in the state is 243 pounds, the FWC says. It was caught near Key West on Feb. 17, 1975, according to the FWC.