Released by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission …
Patrol, Protect, Preserve
April 19, 2019 through April 25, 2019
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.
NORTHWEST REGION CASES
ESCAMBIA COUNTY
Officers Long and Allgood were on vessel patrol and conducted a resource and safety inspection on a recreational vessel with three occupants on board. During the inspection, six gray triggerfish were discovered. Current Florida law prohibits possession of more than one gray triggerfish per person. Additionally, one of the triggerfish was found to be shorter than the required minimum of 15 inches. The captain of the vessel was cited for possession of over the daily bag limit and undersized triggerfish.
FRANKLIN COUNTY
Officers Travis, Sauls, Kossey, Hughes, and McLeod were targeting illegal net fishing activities near St. George Island. Around midnight, Officers Travis and Sauls saw a boat working a large net on the Gulf side of the island. They stopped three subjects and determined they were pompano fishing with an illegal monofilament entangling net. All three subjects were arrested and transported to the Franklin County Jail. The net and fish were seized and entered into evidence.
Officers Swindell and Pestka were patrolling Eastpoint when they saw an oyster vessel returning from Cat Point. They stopped the boat to conduct a resource inspection. After inspecting the oysters, they determined the operator was in possession of undersized oysters. The subject was cited, and the undersized oysters were returned to the water alive.
Officer Swindell was patrolling the Bob Sikes Cut area when he stopped a vessel returning from fishing. Officer Swindell located seven undersized rock bass in a fish box. The fish were seized, and the subject was cited.
Officer Hughes was checking recreational fishing activity on the Eastpoint Fishing Pier. He contacted a group of subjects and checked their licenses and fish. In a cooler, Officer Hughes located two undersized spotted sea trout and one undersized flounder. One of the subjects admitted to catching and keeping the fish. He was cited, and the fish seized as evidence.
Officer Travis was checking boats returning from fishing in the Carrabelle River. He stopped a boat to conduct a resource inspection. The subjects showed Officer Travis their catch and stated that was all they had onboard. During his inspection, he noticed fresh pry marks on one of the hatches leading into the boat’s bilge. Officer Travis removed the hatch and found fish filets hidden in the bilge. The subjects then admitted to catching three gag grouper and two red snapper and fileting the fish. The filets were seized, and the subjects cited.
Officers Kossey and Dubose were patrolling the Apalachicola Wildlife Management Area near the Ochlockonee River. They located a couple of trucks and trailers at Revels Landing and waited on them to return. When the subjects returned, the officers conducted a resource inspection. In one boat, they found several flathead catfish and in the other boat, they found fish shocking equipment. The subjects admitted to shocking the catfish. The officers also found drugs and paraphernalia in one of the boats. Two subjects were arrested, and one received a citation. The fish and drugs were seized as evidence.
LEON COUNTY
Officer Pekerol received a complaint regarding possible illegal fishing. The complaint stated that three individuals with fishing equipment purchased 30 goldfish to possibly use for bait. Officer Pekerol searched the local boat ramps and found a vehicle, a vessel, and three individuals that matched the description in the complaint at Reeves Landing on Lake Miccosukee. When the vessel came back to the ramp, Officer Pekerol conducted a resource inspection. The occupants denied possessing or using any goldfish for bait. Upon further inspection, a bait bucket was located containing one goldfish. One of the occupants admitted to fishing with them and then dumping them out before they came back to the ramp. He was cited for using goldfish for bait.
SANTA ROSA COUNTY
Officer Ramos was on water patrol in Santa Rosa Sound when he saw a recreational vessel returning from offshore. A boating safety and resource inspection was performed. During the inspection, Officer Ramos located three greater amberjack that the subjects harvested on their trip. The subjects were issued citations for taking and possessing greater amberjack during the closed season.
While on water patrol in East Bay, Officer Ramos saw a man harvesting oysters. A resource inspection was performed, and the man possessed 78 undersized oysters, which was 55% of his catch. The law only allows for 5% of oysters harvested to be less than three inches. The man was issued a notice to appear in court along with several warnings pertaining to the taking of oysters.
WAKULLA COUNTY
Officer Carr was dispatched to Wakulla Springs State Park regarding a possible stolen vehicle. Upon arrival, he spoke with a park ranger who confirmed that a white Ford Bronco had been removed from a fenced area in the park. Officer Carr contacted the Tallahassee Regional Communications Center to enter the vehicle in the criminal justice database as stolen. He turned the ongoing case over to the local investigator for a follow up investigation. The next day, Officer Korade was dispatched to an abandoned vehicle located by the Wakulla County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) in the general vicinity of the stolen vehicle. He confirmed that the vehicle located was the stolen Bronco from the park. The WCSO Crime Scene Unit processed the stolen vehicle before it was released back to the assistant park manager.
Officer Hofheinz received information and a photo from an investigator of a potential violation. When he located the subject identified in the complaint, he was questioned regarding the picture and information provided. The subject confessed to the violation and admitted that he was riding in the management area when he shot the illegal deer with a Marlin 30-30. At the end of the investigation, the subject was issued the appropriate citation. Officer Schulz assisted with the case.
WALTON COUNTY
Officer Tison saw a vehicle parked along Bruce Creek and saw three subject’s bass fishing at different locations along the creek. A fishery inspection revealed one of the subjects had caught nine bass over his daily bag limit and two of the subjects were in possession of illegal size bass. In addition to the fish violations, two of the subjects did not have a freshwater fishing license. The subjects were cited for over the daily bag limit, size limit and license violations.
COMMUNITY ORIENTED POLICING
EXPANDING PARTICIPATION IN CONSERVATION
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