# Major Netting Bust Makes Case for Stronger Penalties



## Earl Brinn (Feb 16, 2004)

Major Netting Bust Makes Case for Stronger Penalties

by Rick Farren, Communications Director of CCA Florida 


Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers arrested two commercial fishermen in the largest illegal inshore fisheries case ever made in Lee and Charlotte counties. The officers seized nearly 6,000 pounds of illegally-caught mullet and 900 yards of monofilament gill net from a lagoon on the Gulf side of Cayo Costa Island in December.

The recent arrests were made during a detail targeting illegal commercial fishing operations in the Matlacha and Cayo Costa areas. When officers attempted to stop and inspect the suspect’s vessel, the two fishermen jumped from the vessel, ran ashore, stripped off their fishing apparel and ran barefoot down the beach, straight to another officer, who made the arrests. http://ccaflorida.org/images/law_enformt/leecountynets.jpg



“These types of major violations, and the continued problems with repeat offenders, will only be reduced if the legislature passes stronger penalties for net ban violations,” said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director.

For more than a year, CCA Florida has been actively seeking stronger penalties to curb ongoing net poaching activities in state waters. (See 2004 Legislature to Consider Stronger Netting Penalties.)

“Currently, it's a felony to ‘molest’ a crab trap in state waters, but only a misdemeanor to illegally-harvest thousands of pounds of fish,” said Forsgren.

A check of the vessel revealed a large amount of mullet and a gill net still half deployed. The fish and gill net remaining in the water were so heavy it took officers 17 hours to recover and dispose of the illegal catch.

One of the commercial fishermen arrested is a habitual offender of the state’s constitutional ban on the use of entanglement nets in state waters and other fisheries-related offenses. In October, he was charged, along with four other Lee County residents, with scheming to defraud the state through the illegal sale of $100,000 worth of saltwater products. He was also arrested and convicted in Manatee County in September 2001 and on June 26, 2003, he was arrested by FWC officers for net-transit violations.

A sampling of other netting incidents over the past few months clearly indicates the need for stronger penalties:

In April 2003, 600 yards of gill net along with permit, sheepshead, black drum, snook, bonefish and redfish were confiscated in Collier County from a “blacked-out” skiff by FWC law enforcement officers. Also in April, a net limitation detail in Manatee County encountered a group of fishing vessels that fled as the officers approached. One netter was caught with a 500-yard gill net. A night flight that same month resulted in the confiscation of a 650-yard monofilament net. http://ccaflorida.org/images/law_enformt/leecountynets2.jpg http://ccaflorida.org/images/law_enformt/leecountynets3.jpg

Heavy equipment was needed to recover nearly three tons of illegally-harvesed mullet.

In May, FWC officers confiscated 1,400 yards of monofilament and nylon gill nets from coastal waters of Franklin and Wakulla counties. The previous spring officers discovered 1,500 yards of hidden gill nets.

In June, 300 yards of hidden gill nets were discovered in Wakulla County.

In July, two fishermen were caught with 5,855 square feet of illegal seine nets.

In August, 800 yards of abandoned monofilament gill net was found in Wakulla County.

In September, 1,086 pounds of mullet and 200 yards of monofilament gill net were confiscated in Franklin County. In Levy County an abandoned gill net with oversized mesh was discovered with an entangled and dead, 100-pound sea turtle.

In October, a covert detail in Bay County arrested nine individuals, and recovered 13,000 square feet of seine nets and 4,000 pounds of ladyfish and Spanish mackerel.

In November, three gill nets, including one containing rotting fish, were discovered by flight surveillance.

In December in Manatee County, an il-legal, 2,210-square-foot seine net was confiscated. In Citrus County a 2000-square-foot gill net and a quantity of mullet were seized. In Taylor County a 1,250-square-foot monofilament gill net was confiscated.

In January 2004, a suspect in Lee County was caught using two, 2,000-square-foot seine nets. Three netters were caught with a 400-yard gill net and 1,800 pounds of mullet and two violators were caught with a 600-yard gill net. In Citrus County, 200 pounds of mullet and 2,900 square feet of seine net were confiscated. In Taylor County, a 300-yard monofilament trammel net was discovered hidden at the coast.


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