FWC Law Enforcement Weekly Report 06/26 - 07/02/2015

 

FWC

Division of Law Enforcement

 

Weekly Report

 

June 26th, 2015 thru July 2nd, 2015

 

This report represents some events the FWC handled over the past week;

however, it does not include all actions taken by the Division of Law Enforcement.

 

Patrol, Protect, Preserve

 

 

NORTHWEST REGION

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Officer Hutchinson was patrolling the Blackwater River when he observed a small vessel traveling towards him.  As the vessel neared him, it left the river channel and turned into a cove.  He repositioned his patrol vessel so that he could continue observing the vessel and observed the occupants just sitting in the vessel watching him.  He made contact with the occupants and observed that they had been fishing.  They admitted to catching a large sheepshead, but when Officer Hutchinson asked to see it, the subject sitting on the cooler stood up and asked about the size limits for redfish.  Officer Hutchinson told him he first wanted to look inside of the ice chest. The subject opened the ice chest and Officer Hutchinson immediately observed several undersized redfish in it.  After further inspection, he discovered that the three subjects were in possession of seven redfish, five of which were undersized.  They also were in possession of an undersized spotted seatrout.  Two of the subjects admitted to catching and keeping the undersized fish and knowing the size and bag limits for the fish.  Officer Hutchinson seized the illegal fish and charged the subjects with possession of undersized redfish and spotted seatrout and possession of over the daily bag limit of redfish.

 

OKALOOSA COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Clark and Investigator Williams were conducting a federal fisheries inspection at a local wholesale/retail dealer.  The inspection revealed that two commercial bandit rig vessels offloaded and sold gray triggerfish.  Gray triggerfish is closed for commercial harvest during June and July.  A National Marine Fisheries Service Law Enforcement Officer was notified and arrived on scene.  Both operators of the vessels were identified and issued citations for harvest of gray triggerfish during closed season.

 

During the same patrol, Lieutenant Clark conducted a state and federal inspection on a charter vessel returning from a paid fishing trip.  The inspection revealed that the vessel’s charter fishing license had been expired since 2014.  Further, the vessel’s federal reef fish permit expired May 2015. A National Marine Fisheries Service Law Enforcement Officer was notified of the expired federal permits.

 

Lieutenant Hollinhead, Officers Arnette and H. Rockwell assisted Okaloosa Sheriff’s Department, Beach Safety personnel and U. S. Coast Guard (USCG) with a search and rescue on the Blackwater River. A search for eight stranded tubers started at midnight after they were reported being stuck at a large log jam. Due to low water levels in the river, rescue personnel were unable to use vessels to retrieve the subjects. FWC officers searched parts of the river throughout the night by accessing the river through the Blackwater Wildlife Management Area. Later in the morning, a USCG helicopter was requested and responded.  The USCG crew located the subjects and repelled a crew member down to check their condition.  Officers used coordinates provided by USCG to get a patrol vehicle to the subjects to escort them from the river and delivered them to their awaiting family. The tubers were all okay.

 

COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING

 

SANTA ROSA COUNTY

 

Officers Webb and Land spoke to over 70 kids at the Gulf Breeze Community Center. They spoke to the group about boating safety issues, dangerous marine life and first aid.  Officers Webb and Land also brought a patrol vessel and conducted safety demonstrations to the group.

 

 

NORTHEAST REGION

 

PUTNAM COUNTY

 

A 32 year old female was reported missing in Putnam County from an assisted living facility and believed to have walked away from the facility on June 22^nd.   The family members contacted the Putnam County Sheriff's Department to file an official missing person’s report on June 23^rd.  Due to the amount of time the victim had been missing they had become extremely concerned for her well-being.  The sheriff's department used bloodhounds and determined a direction of travel, which led from the facility toward a large tract of wooded property.  The sheriff's department requested Fish and Wildlife's assistance in conducting a more thorough search for the victim.  The search teams were assembled and search areas were assigned on June 24^th.  Officer Ramsey along with a Sheriff’s Deputy were assigned the western portion of the wooded tract of land. They devised a plan to conduct a ladder search beginning on the eastern portion of their assigned area, moving westward using all-terrain vehicles.  About an hour into the search, Officer Ramsey saw movement down a fire lane.  As he approached he realized it was the missing female. She had dug out a 5' X 6' area in the fire lane.  The female was not clothed and had completely covered herself with sand.  The officers made contact with her and she was completely disoriented and appeared to be extremely dehydrated.  Officer Ramsey gave her water and an apple as they prepared to transport her out of the area to receive attention from the paramedics.  Paramedics stated she was extremely dehydrated and was transported to the hospital, but is expected to make a full recovery.

 

BREVARD COUNTY

 

While participating in Operation Dry Water at Kelly Park in Merritt Island on June 28^th, Investigator Corfield observed a pontoon boat coming into the dock. One of the passengers was urinating off the back of the vessel as they neared the dock. Officer Cybula conducted a vessel safety inspection and observed signs of impairment on the operator. Subsequent field sobriety tasks were completed and Officer Cybula had probable cause to believe the operator was impaired beyond his normal faculties. He was arrested for boating under the influence and cited with refusal to submit to breathe test. He was booked into the Brevard County Jail.

 

MARION COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Frerking observed a vessel operating on Lake Weir without bow lights at night. During an inspection he noticed the operator showed signs of impairment. During subsequent field sobriety tasks, he determined the operator’s normal faculties were impaired and the operator was arrested for boating under the influence. The operator refused to submit to a breathe test.

 

 

NORTH CENTRAL REGION

 

CITRUS COUNTY

 

The FWC Fincat vessel crew conducted offshore vessel patrols and encountered two fishermen who were using undersized spotted sea trout as bait. One of the fishermen was cited. The crew observed a vessel at anchor with a diver’s down flag displayed, and upon approach they observed one person in the water with a spear gun. A fisheries inspection revealed that the diver had harvested an undersized cobia while spearfishing. A citation was issued for the violation. Later the crew located a string of stone crab traps offshore in Pasco County. The trap line location was documented and the owner of the traps will be contacted for a follow-up investigation concerning the owner’s failure to remove the traps after the closure. Charges are pending.

 

The weekend marked the opening of scallop season which brought an increase in boat traffic. Officers assisted other emergency personnel with a near drowning call in the gulf, worked two minor boat accidents without injuries, made two BUI arrests and numerous boating safety and vessel inspections. With thousands of swimmers/divers in the water, enforcement efforts were focused on preventing divers from being hit by vessels underway in the heavily congested scallop areas. Those efforts resulted in six citations issued for vessels operating on a plane in proximity to displayed divers’ down flag with swimmers in the water.

 

CLAY COUNTY

 

Officers Heath and Waltman along with Lieutenant Glover conducted a detail inside Jennings State Forest in response to problem areas inside the forest. The detail lasted three weekends from 7:00 p.m. until well after midnight. A total of 215 forest users were checked, 13 citations and 25 warnings were issued. Charges included no day use permit, possession of alcohol, use of all-terrain vehicle, closed road violations, damage to state land and several after-hours violations.

 

COLUMBIA COUNTY

 

Officer Johnston was patrolling near Lake Jeffrey when he conducted a fisheries check at a local boat ramp.  The fisheries check revealed that the fisherman had four black bass, of which three were undersized.  The fisherman was issued a notice to appear for possession of undersized black bass as well as written warnings for expired fishing license and 3 boating safety violations.  The three bass were still alive and released back into the lake.

 

DUVAL COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Arkin was patrolling Memorial Park and the St. Johns River in Jacksonville when he came across two subjects who were sitting in a parked vehicle and acting suspiciously. Lieutenant Arkin did a well-being check on the subjects and discovered that the female driver had an active warrant from Volusia County for failure to appear in reference to selling animals without the proper paperwork. The warrant was issued back in 1995. Lieutenant Arkin checked with the Jacksonville Regional Communications Center and the warrant was confirmed. The subject was taken to the Duval County Pre-Trial Detention Center to await extradition.

 

LAFAYETTE COUNTY

 

Officer Pekerol was dispatched to a vessel in distress on the Suwannee River approximately three miles South of Ivey Park in Branford. The occupants included one toddler, two teenagers and three adults who were stranded when their vessel became inoperable during heavy rainfall. Officer Pekerol reached the disabled vessel just before midnight and safely escorted the family to shore.

 

LEVY COUNTY

 

While working an inter-agency patrol, Officer Schulz of the FWC and Officer Murphy of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service observed two subjects in the National Wildlife Refuge at Shell Mound. Officer Schulz assisted Officer Murphy during his contact with the two subjects. Both subjects were found to be in the refuge after hours and in possession of alcohol. Officer Murphy seized the alcohol and issued both subjects citations for possession of alcohol in the refuge. As the inter-agency patrol continued, Officers Schulz and Murphy were in the Cedar Key area when during a fisheries inspection of a subject fishing off of a pier, Officer Schulz found the subject to be in possession of three short redfish. Officer Murphy provided assistance to Officer Schulz throughout this inspection. Officer Schulz seized the redfish, properly documented the violation, and issued the subject a misdemeanor citation for possession of undersized redfish.

 

Officer Schulz was on land patrol in the Otter Creek area when he observed a vehicle at the Waccasassa River Bridge. Earlier on the river Officer Schulz had come in contact with three subjects who were heading back to the vehicle. Later as Officer Schulz was talking with these subjects, Lieutenant Umhoefer arrived on the scene to provide assistance. During a fisheries inspection, Officer Schulz noticed a green leafy substance in a clear sandwich bag which he identified as cannabis. A further inspection of the vehicle revealed another bag of cannabis, a scale, a glass pipe used to smoke cannabis and a box of clear sandwich bags. Based on the totality of the circumstances, Officer Schulz arrested the subject who owns the vehicle and the contraband found inside. Officer Schulz booked the subject into the Levy County Jail and seized the drug contraband as evidence.

 

Officer Schulz was on water patrol on the Suwannee River conducting a boating safety and fisheries inspection on a small aluminum boat. The two men on board had 3 undersized black bass on a stringer and 5 filleted black bass in their cooler. One of the two men didn’t have a valid Florida Freshwater Fishing License. Officer Schulz issued citations for the undersized fish, no freshwater fishing license and a warning for the fish in less than whole condition. No further law enforcement action was taken.

 

 

SOUTHWEST REGION

 

CHARLOTTE COUNTY

 

Officer Birchfield conducted a resource inspection on an individual fishing under the El Jobean Bridge. When asked, the individual stated that he had not caught anything, but was later found with 8 mangrove snapper all under the 10” minimum size limit. Officer Birchfield issued a citation for the undersized snapper.

 

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

 

Officers Dearborn, Patterson and Investigator Rosas responded to an alligator incident on a creek in the Upper Tampa Bay Trail. An individual was swimming when they were bitten by an alligator. The individual got away from the alligator and swam to shore for help. Investigator Rosas will complete this investigation.

 

LEE COUNTY

 

Officer McColgin and Lieutenant Ruggiero worked plain clothes enforcement along the Sanibel causeway.  The officers observed several young men as they were fighting a tarpon from the shore, so they moved where they could observe them.  After several minutes of watching them fight the approximately 120+ pound fish, they managed to get it to shore.  Three of the people walked out to the water and began picking the tarpon out of the water for photographs.  The officers quickly made their way over to the people and stopped them from doing any more harm to the fish.  The men admitted to knowing better and apologized for the violation.  The officers educated them about not removing large tarpon like the one they caught out of the water because of the harm it can do to the fish and advised them to photograph it while it is in the water instead.  Warnings were issued. 

 

Officer Morrow was dispatched to the Cape Coral Yacht Club Marina to investigate the report of a 25 foot sailboat that was involved in a boating accident that had occurred earlier in the day.  The vessel began taking on water and began sinking.  US Coast Guard was called to the scene and towed the vessel back to the marina, where it was secured at the dock.  The Investigation conducted by FWC revealed that the operator had struck an unknown object that was beneath the water subsequently puncturing the hull.  There were two people on board the vessel at the time of the incident and no one was injured. The investigation is ongoing at this time.   

 

Officer Spoede took a news reporter for a “ride along” reference Operation Dry Water.  Several vessels were stopped to perform boating safety inspections and educate the public on the dangers of boating under the influence.  Several written warnings were issued for boating safety violations and manatee speed violations.

 

MANATEE COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Hinds IV was on land patrol in the area of the South Skyway Rest Area.  While on patrol, he performed an inspection on a fisherman that had been cast netting for fish in Tampa Bay.  During the course of his fisheries inspection, he found that the man had cast netted two undersized and out of season snook.  The fisherman also had cast netted several other undersized fish such as sheepshead and mangrove snapper. The fisherman was cited for two criminal violation pertaining to the taking of snook by illegal method and possession of snook out of season.  He was also given several warnings for other fisheries violations.

 

PASCO COUNTY

 

Officer Pulaski was on water patrol in the Pithlachascotee River to conduct boating safety and resource inspections. Officer Pulaski activated his blue lights to inspect a vessel when he observed a female passenger switch places with the operator. During the stop the operator showed signs of impairment and field sobriety tasks were performed. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence and provided a breathe sample measuring .176.

 

Officers Beckman and Czarnota were on land patrol at the Hudson Beach Boat Ramp. The officers waited for an airboat to return to inspect their boating safety equipment and fish. The airboat returned and the operator had difficulty pulling into dock. The officers noticed the operator exhibit signs of impairment and conducted field sobriety tasks. The operator was arrested for boating under the influence and provided a breathe sample measuring .220.

 

Officer Pulaski and Hillsborough County Deputy Leto were on water patrol in the Gulf Harbors area. They stopped a vessel to perform a boating safety inspection. During the stop, Officer Pulaski noticed indicators of impairment. The individual was arrested for boating under the influence after poor performance on field sobriety tasks. He provided a sample of his breath which measured .163.

 

PINELLAS COUNTY

 

Officer Bibler was on water patrol in the area of Tierra Verde.  While on patrol, he stopped two men on personal watercrafts that were violating a slow speed zone.  After noticing that the men did not have their vessels registered properly, Officer Bibler conducted a further inspection.  During his inspection, he discovered that the personal watercrafts were stolen out of Oklahoma.  The personal watercrafts were then seized and the rightful owners notified.  The two men were written several violations and pending a further investigation, could face charges of grand theft.   

 

 

SOUTH REGION A

                                                                                                                                           

BROWARD COUNTY

 

While on state park patrol, in John U. Lloyd State Park in Dania Beach, Officers Mirabal, Delatorre, and Investigator Corteguera stopped a boat that had been dolphin fishing.  During a saltwater fisheries inspection the officers observed a total of 21 dolphin.  After measuring all of the fish, 15 of them were under the 20 inch legal size limit.  There were three subjects on board the vessel and they were keeping all of their fish together.  Since all three subjects had been fishing and they were not able to tell who caught which fish they were all cited as co-defendants for possession of undersized dolphin.

 

While on water patrol, Officers Mirabal and Alford received a request from Ft. Lauderdale PD to assist with a vessel stop.  Ft. Lauderdale police stopped a vessel that was operating too fast in a restricted speed zone area and observed numerous fish on board the vessel.  Officers Mirabal and Alford responded and observed a very large amount of queen conch meat and various species of snappers.  The subjects stated that they had just returned from the Bahamas.  The US Fish & Wildlife Service was contacted and Special Agent Yeck responded.  A total of 410 pieces of queen conch meat were onboard the vessel as well as over the bag limit of snapper.  The subjects did not possess Florida or Bahamian fishing licenses.  The vessel was also not following proper procedures for returning to the United States from the Bahamas.  US Fish & Wildlife will handle criminal charges due to the large amount of queen conch. 

 

Officers Mirabal, Sullivan, and Wright worked a target shooting detail in the Everglades and Holey Lands Wildlife Management areas on May 29th.  They came across several groups of target shooters.  They ran all subjects for criminal history and ran all firearm serial numbers to check for stolen firearms.  Several people were issued warnings for public discharge of a firearm and were educated about not being allowed to target shoot in the Wildlife Management areas outside of the designated hunting seasons. 

 

Officer’s Brock and Tarr were on water patrol in the vicinity of the New River. They conducted a safety inspection on a vessel in the river.  With information gathered and tasks completed Officer Brock arrested the operator of the vessel for boating under the influence. The operator was transported to the county jail.

 

Officers Brock and Vacin were on patrol at the Commercial Pier where they were conducting fisheries inspections.  One individual was in possession of six undersized triggerfish. With information gathered the individual was issued a criminal notice to appear for possession of undersized gray triggerfish. Six undersized gray triggerfish were seized as evidence.

 

GLADES COUNTY

 

Officer Davis was called out to an airboat stuck on Lake Okeechobee. Officer Davis grabbed the search and rescue “go bag” and headed to the coordinates. When Officer Davis arrived he saw the vessel in an area known for myrtle’s and vines. Officer Davis pushed into the vessel and loaded the occupants. Because of the low water conditions the area was very muddy. Officer Davis attempted to turn around and wound up wedged between two myrtle stumps. Officer Davis was able to cut the stumps out of the way using the contents of the S&R bag. When Officer Davis got going again he found himself again wedged in between some myrtles. Officer Davis was able to cut out the brush and push the front of his vessel in the direction of the entrance. Once back to the exit point, Officer Davis walked over to the stuck vessel and helped the subject push the front around and get it unstuck. Once out, the individuals were able to drive their vessel back to the ramp.

 

PALM BEACH COUNTY

 

Investigator Luher participated in the LEPC (Local Environmental Planning Committee) exercise that was a simulation of a truck colliding with a chemical train, resulting in derailment.  Local, state and federal agencies such as the FBI were present for this mock exercise.  The committee is made up of personnel covering Indian River, St. Lucie, Martin and Palm Beach Counties.  They include, Law Enforcement, Fire Departments, Utilities, Private Companies, Health Departments, State Agencies, Hazardous Materials Experts and Cleanup Contractors.  This exercise scenario included stolen trucks with hazardous materials that crossed state lines into Florida and collided with a train carrying Chlorine. The scenario was set up as a unified command systems and the parties contributed their expertise for the scenario.

 

Officer Toby observed three individuals fishing inside South Florida Water Management District’s Stormwater Treatment Area (STA) - 1 East property. All three individuals had entered into this STA using an illegal entrance. Upon conducting a fisheries inspection, Officer Toby located four illegal size black bass in a cooler belonging to one of the individuals. Officer Nasworth, Merizio, and Spanier arrived on scene to assist. All three individuals were issued misdemeanor citations for illegal entry/exit into the STA. Two of the subjects did not have a valid freshwater fishing license and were issued a warning for this violation. Additionally, the individual in possession of the four illegal size black bass was issued a misdemeanor citation for taking the fish.

 

ST. LUCIE COUNTY

 

Lieutenant Rogerson and K-9 Officer James Payne were on vessel patrol near the Fort Pierce North Bridge. While conducting vessel stops, checking for safety equipment and possible resource violations, a small vessel came into view. The vessel had been observed earlier in the day at a local drinking hot spot. The vessel appeared to be overloaded as it had approximately nine or ten people on board. Making contact with the operator it was discovered that he was not the vessel owner. The subject had difficulty producing and locating the required safety equipment. The vessel was taken in a hip tow to Stan Blum boat ramp where Field Sobriety Tasks were administered. After the tasks were performed, the subject was placed under arrest for Boating Under the Influence. As all other passengers were not able to take control over the vessel, contact was made with a friend who came to the ramp and assisted them.

 

Officer Irwin and Investigators Turner and Luher were on vessel patrol near the Fort Pierce Inlet when a large vessel was observed entering the inlet. A boarding was initiated with assistance from United States Coast Guard. Making contact with the captain and crew it was discovered that they had multiple safety violations including expired documentation. A marine sanitation devise inspection was also conducted with negative results. The vessel owner was found to be traveling with an expired U.S. visa. A vessel travel hold was placed on the vessel and the captain and crew were advised that they could not resume travel until all violations were corrected. The vessel moored at the port.    

 

 

SOUTH REGION B

 

COLLIER COUNTY

During Operation Dry Water, Investigator Van Trees, Officer Alexander and Collier County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Tim Cornelius were on water patrol when they stopped a vessel coming in from offshore. During a fisheries inspection, the officers found the fishermen had 15 undersized red grouper, the smallest being 11” and largest being 18”. After questioning, one of the subjects admitted to catching all the grouper and was issued 16 misdemeanors for undersized red grouper and over the daily bag limit of red grouper.

MIAMI-DADE COUNTY

Officer Pestka, Yanez, Delgado and Padilla responded to the Miami Beach Marina to investigate an incident where fishermen on board a vessel were reportedly taking undersized Mahi Mahi. When the officers arrived on scene they saw one male on board a small vessel fishing and another male in the water holding a spear gun. A resource inspection revealed three dead parrot fish, two undersized mutton snapper, two undersized mangrove snapper, and one undersized hogfish. In addition to the citations issued for the resource violations, the captain of the vessel was also cited for having an expired registration and failure to display a dive flag. 

An investigator and an officer were on water patrol near Sands Cut sandbar when the investigator noticed a woman on board another vessel frantically waving for the officers’ attention.  The officers motored over to where the female was and noticed that there was a non-responsive infant present.  The officers requested that the baby be handed to them.  They noticed the baby was pale with blue lips and was not breathing nor responsive. The investigator performed a finger sweep through the baby’s mouth to check for any obstructions in the airway and found nothing. The officers then administered other emergency aid and the baby began to cough and finally breathe.  The father climbed on board the patrol vessel where the officers then rushed the baby to Black Point Marina to waiting paramedics.  The baby was then transported to a local hospital for emergency treatment.  Both officers visited the hospital the following day to learn that the nine month old infant was recovering well from its medical complications.

MONROE COUNTY

Officer McHenry and Officer Hein were on state water patrol in the Lower Matecumbe area when they stopped a vessel with four fishermen on board. Officer McHenry asked the men if they had caught any fish and they responded by saying “not much”. Officer McHenry began looking in the cooler and inspecting the catch. At the conclusion of the resource inspection, the individuals were found to be in possession of 39 mangrove snapper, well over the total allotted bag limit for 4 individuals. Citations were issued accordingly.

Lieutenant Riesz was on land patrol in the upper Keys when she stopped at Harry Harris Park Boat Ramp to conduct fisheries inspections. It wasn’t long before she noticed a vessel tied up to the mangroves and a man on board the boat arranging fishing poles. Lieutenant Riesz conducted a fisheries inspection and discovered seven undersized dolphin among several legal sized ones in a cooler. The man was subsequently cited for being in possession of undersized dolphin.

Officers Plussa and Munkelt were on water patrol near Indian Key when they saw a vessel operating with a passenger hanging his legs over the bow of the boat. The officers attempted to stop the vessel but the operator kept the boat in reverse despite being directed to stop. After getting the vessel to stop and completing a safety inspection, the officers conducted a resource inspection as the operator tried to keep certain fish out of view. Officer Plussa boarded the vessel to complete the inspection and found the operator to be in possession of nine undersized mutton snapper and one undersized hogfish. The captain was charged with possession of undersized fish in both species and issued a warning for careless operation due to the bow riding passenger.

Officer Hein was on land patrol on card sound road in Key Largo when he saw a man fishing. Officer Hein approached the individual and conducted a resource inspection. The man said he had not caught any fish. Officer Hein noticed half of a small mangrove snapper being used as bait and inquired about it. The man said that he was using the fish as bait. Officer Hein asked to look in the man’s bucket and the man agreed. At the conclusion of the resource inspection, the individual could not produce a fishing license, was in possession of undersized mangrove snapper, and was using a small mangrove snapper as bait. Citations were issued accordingly.

Officers Mattson and Krieger were on water patrol in the upper Keys participating in this year’s Operation Dry Water, a nationwide detail designed to target boating under the influence, when they saw a male in a kayak looking confused. As the officers approached they saw a 24 pack of beer in the rear of the kayak. The male demonstrated signs of impairment and was subsequently administered field sobriety tests that confirmed the officer’s suspicion. The subject was placed under arrest for boating under the influence and transported to the Monroe County Jail for processing.  

Officer Garrison was on land patrol on the No Name Key Bridge when he saw a man cleaning fish on a cleaning table. Officer Garrison also noticed a cooler with the lid open next to the man that contained a bag of ice, bait, a spiny lobster and other species of fish. A thorough resource inspection revealed that the man was in possession of undersized mangrove snapper and a spiny lobster out of season. The man was cited.

Officer Hein was on water patrol in the upper Keys near the Card Sound Bridge when he saw two fishermen on board kayaks. As Officer Hein got closer to the kayaks he saw the two fishermen toss three fish into the water and attempt to paddle away. Officer Hein recovered the fish and identified them as undersized mutton snapper. The two fishermen were charged with possession of undersized mutton snapper and for interfering with an FWC officer.

Officer Jeremy Foell was on water patrol, ocean side of the Lower Keys when he conducted a boating safety inspection on a vessel registered out of Virginia. The operator was unable to provide all of the required safety gear. Officer Foell observed snorkeling gear onboard and asked the operator if he had any fish onboard. The operator proceeded to open a cooler onboard which contained 16 spiny lobster 13 of which were undersized. Lobster season is currently closed. The operator stated he did not know of the seasons or regulations regarding spiny lobster, and was in the Florida Keys on vacation. Officer Foell also located a Bahama Starfish in the live well of the vessel. The subject was charged accordingly.