# 4 charged in illegal pompano catch



## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

By Marc Dadigan staff writer
February 6, 2004
GRANT -- A state investigator arrested four fishermen early Wednesday and accused them of illegally catching 945 pompano fish from the Indian River, almost 700 more fish than the law allows for a single harvest. 

John Barnes, 33, and Matthew Ray, 24, both of Crystal River, along with James Zock, 24, of Ocala and Joseph Wood Jr., 39, of Clearwater, were charged with having a catch over the commercial bag limit after Sgt. Camille Soverel noticed their boat's spotlight on the Indian River near Jorgensen's Landing while on her way home about 1 a.m. The charge is a second-degree misdemeanor. 

All the men were given notices to appear, but Soverel said she also suspects the men used an illegal gill net. Experts examining the about $6,000-worth of pompano allegedly found markings on the fish that indicated they were caught in a gill net, said Soverel, an officer for the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission. 

Fish that are too big to swim through the mesh of a gill net often get caught by the gills as they try to back out, which can kill the fish before the net is taken out of the water, according to the Conservation Commission Web site. Because of this, fishermen don't have a chance to throw back protected fish. 

"When you use a gill net, the fish often get stuck in the mesh and have to be untangled," said Soverel. "One of the fish was still wrapped in a piece of net that was ripped out." 

After spotting the boat and thinking its behavior was suspicious, Soverel watched the 26-foot commercial vessel from the boat ramp with the aid of a night-vision device until it came to shore about 5 a.m. She reported the boat "blew through" a manatee zone and didn't have its lights activated, prompting her to stop the fishermen. 

On board she said she found the 1,500 pounds of pompano, but Conservation Commission officers were still looking for the gill net Soverel suspected was used by the fisherman. 

Barnes allegedly told Soverel he had caught the fish with a regular cast net, but Soverel said the speed of the pompano fish makes it exceedingly difficult to catch them with that type of net. 

The confiscated fish were sold Wednesday to Inlet Fisheries in Fort Pierce for about $6,000, which will be held by the Conservation Commission until the case is resolved, Soverel said. 

STRINKEM UP ADD TEACHEM A LESSON


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## Jake Ace (May 4, 2000)

Man you really seem to be able to report a lot of that kind of activity down there. I wonder if so much more of it is going on there, or if there is just a much stronger presence of law enforcement that more of these illegal doers get caught.

I can probably find more articles / notices about them up here in VA if I looked deeper, but I just don't read about that many of them up here in the general press.

I suspect it's not because they rule-breakers aren't out there, I know they are, but from an overstretched presence of the law up here. There was a good article not too long ago in our local paper about what the typical water law enforcement folks do and it listed some of the illegal activity they stopped. But it also pointed out how thin they are.

I agree with you: use the scofflaws for chum and let's at least get some good out of their useless carcasses.

THROW MORE BIG ONES BACK

Jake Ace


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

Down here Jake we have the weekly reports posted on the FWC activities .
These reports represent highlights of a statewide summery of law enforcement activities for the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC.) 

http://capmel.com/Weekly_FWC_Enforcement Summary.htm


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## Jake Ace (May 4, 2000)

I read through some of those reports. There's a lot of different wildlife officials listed as partipating in various activities. Thanks for the link.

THROW THE BIG ONES BACK

Jake Ace


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## Kozlow (Oct 25, 2002)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
For More Information:

February 11, 2004
Ted Forsgren (850) 224-3474

FLORIDA FISH AND WILDLIFE COMMISSION ADOPTS TOUGH STANCE ON FLAGRANT NETTING VIOLATIONS – SEEKS LEGISLATION TO INCREASE PENALTIES
In a significant step toward controlling illegal netting, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has voted to seek legislation to increase penalties for flagrant netting violations. 

“The Commission’s decision is a very strong and positive step,” said Michael Kennedy, CCA Florida Chairman. “We have been urging them to take action because the current penalties are obviously not a significant deterrent to poachers.”

The FWC action means legislation will be filed for the upcoming 2004 Legislative session to increase the penalty for a “flagrant netting violation” from a second degree misdemeanor to a third degree felony. The Commission’s position for a first offense flagrant netting violation would be that:

“A first violation involving the use of a monofilament gillnet

or a net with a mesh area larger than 2000 square feet is

a felony of the third degree and such person shall be assessed

a civil penalty of $5000 and suspension of all saltwater 

privileges for 12 months. A second felony violation shall 

result in a civil penalty of $5000 and lifetime revocation

of the saltwater products license and the forfeiture of

all gear and equipment used in the violation.”

The motion to approve the action was made by Commissioner Dick Corbett and seconded by Commissioner Sandy Kaupe. Commission Chairman Rodney Barreto and Commissioner David Meehan provided strong support and comments for the motion which was approved unanimously.

“We will be very actively supporting the Commission’s legislative initiative,” said Ted Forsgren, CCA Florida Executive Director. “Illegal netting is undermining fisheries recovery plans. Pompano, in particular, are being hit hard by poachers.”

Although the constitutional ban on gillnets has been in effect for almost nine years, Forsgren stated that blatant, illegal netting is still occurring in many areas of the state. Just two months ago, FWC officers caught outlaw netters with more than 5,000 lbs. of mullet in the Charlotte Harbor area, the largest inshore netting violation since the enactment of the gillnet ban.

CCA Florida noted that the increase to a third degree felony for flagrant netting violations is in line with other poaching penalties that already are a third degree felony on the first offense; including robbing or “molesting” commercial crab and lobster traps, possession of more than 11 marine turtle eggs, selling deer taken illegally, and poaching alligators.


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