A person or organization that breaks various wildlife regulations.
Having extra eyes on the water can help law enforcement, aid in the rescue of distressed people or wildlife, and even support research on rare and unusual marine events. Report Wildlife Violations. It is always best when the individual witnessing an incident makes the phone call directly, so that the agency receiving the report can … Read more
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) invites Florida residents and visitors to take an active role in conservation by reporting fish and wildlife observations with the new FWC Reporter app. From fish kills to exotic species, to trapped or injured wildlife, FWC Reporter connects citizens to FWC experts directly from their Apple or … Read more
Gov. Rick Scott has signed a watered-down bill initially proposed to stop the shark finning trade in Florida. The bill, signed Tuesday 5/23/17, does increase penalties for shark finning and codifies a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission rule prohibiting this practice, but does not go as far as shark conservation groups wanted. The original … Read more
A 37-year-old Hialeah man accused of poaching snappers Friday, Nov. 27, while fishing from a bridge was arrested by a Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officer. The man was charged with possession of undersized yellowtail snapper, possession of undersized mangrove snapper and possession of undersized schoolmaster snapper, all of which put him over the … Read more
A Marathon man who was caught with a mutilated, endangered sea turtle last spring, along with possessing undersized stone crab claws and lobster out of season, is set to have his day in court this month. Serguei Perez-Perdomo, 38, was arrested May 8, 2014. after he was reportedly found with 212 out-of-season lobster, 12 stone … Read more
A Summerland Key [Lobster Mobster] fisherman [in the past he has been identified as from Big Pine Key] arrested in October 2014 for lobster fishing with hundreds of illegal traps was arrested again Thursday for lying on a wildlife form about his marine violation history, according to court records. Lobster Mobster – David Lee Boggs, … Read more
More than 100 marine-resource conservation counts were filed against a Marathon man late Monday after law officers surprised a boat making a nocturnal landing. Jose Carlos Acosta Arias, 37, was carrying a mesh bag with 77 wrung lobster tails when he stepped off a “blacked-out vessel” near the oceanside of 74th Street in Marathon, reported … Read more
SOUTH REGION B – MONROE COUNTY Lieutenant Payne along with Officers Piekenbrock and Martino were on routine water patrol in Waltz Key Basin north of Key West. Shortly after sunset the officers noticed a small skiff returning from offshore with no running lights. The officers followed undetected until they were in close proximity of the skiff. … Read more
A state marine officer found two undersized nurse sharks and a dead moray eel while inspecting a catch made from an Islamorada dock Thursday. Officer Paul Hein of the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission spotted several people fishing off a private dock near Tea Table Key around 3 p.m. Hein saw two nurse sharks, … Read more
Four Homestead men aboard a 15-foot skiff off North Key Largo were arrested Sunday on multiple conservation charges Sunday, state marine officers report. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission officers recovered a mesh bag from the bottom of Angelfish Creek, agency spokesman Officer Bobby Dube said. The bag held undersized lobster, snapper and grouper. … Read more
Two Miami men who were caught with the tail of an endangered loggerhead sea turtle in Marathon in January are scheduled to appear before County Judge Ruth Becker Aug. 27 for a hearing. Possessing sea turtles or any part of them is against the law. Sea-turtle activists in the Florida Keys are urging Assistant State … Read more
A Big Pine Key fisherman arrested in October for lobster fishing with hundreds of illegal traps was ordered Thursday to surrender 400 traps, effectively cutting his fishing capabilities in half, according to court records. David Lee Boggs, 51, was ultimately charged with more than 100 counts of misdemeanor fishing without proper tags after state wildlife officers … Read more
Jon Hazelbaker captures a legal lobster on a patch reef off Big Pine Key. The Fort Myers Beach resident and researchers say lobsters are scarce in the Keys, but commercial fishermen say the popular crustaceans are plentiful.(Photo: Kevin Lollar/The News-Press) With all the lawyer jokes out there, Fort Myers attorney Steven Koeppel didn’t do his … Read more
Three [Lobster Mobsters] fishermen convicted of robbing lobster traps and possession of undersized lobsters in June stemming from their September 2011 arrest were banned from commercial lobster fishing for life and two of them were given prison time. The captain of the Marathon-based commercial lobster fishing vessel Classy Lady, Nelson Rojas, was convicted of trap … Read more
By KEVIN WADLOW When lobster-resource violations reach the egregious point, Florida Keys prosecutors “will take it very, very seriously,” State Attorney Catherine Vogel cautions. “All those people out there for lobster mini-season next week need to be aware they cannot take undersized lobster, wring tails on the water or spear lobster,” Vogel said Tuesday. “A lobster can … Read more
A Miami man reeled in a lobster at Tavernier Creek, leading to a Wednesday case filed by the FWC. Robert R. Harden, 21, was booked on three conservation counts. FWC Officer Chris Mattson was on road patrol at Tavernier Creek at mile marker 91 when he “observed a man fishing in an unorthodox method,” Dube … Read more
BY KEVIN WADLOW A Tennessee man found off Key West with 63 lobster tails was booked into jail on 156 resource conservation counts Thursday, state marine officers report. Charles J. Emanuel, 38, of Signal Mountain was snorkeling off a canoe at the Sigsbee Ledge, a few hundred feet from a U.S. Navy campground, according … Read more
BY KEVIN WADLOW Marine officers apparently have video of Carlos Hernandez riding the turtle. Riding a sea turtle and spearing a shark near Conch Key put a Miami man in jail Sunday, state marine officers report. Carlos A. Hernandez, 31, was booked into the Monroe County jail on five misdemeanor conservation counts — and … Read more
Tuesday, July 14, 2015 Law enforcement had a busy Sunday, arresting two men for spearfishing illegally including one who was allegedly harassing a sea turtle, and chasing a fleeing vehicle through the Key Haven subdivision. In the turtle case, a passerby on the south end of the Long Key Bridge noticed a man and woman taking … Read more
21-year-old Hialeah man was arrested Sunday on multiple lobster-related charges after FWC officers found him illegally spearing lobster near Banana Bay Resort in Marathon, Dipre said. Yasmany Escalona was charged with felony tampering with evidence after diving and burying a bag of wrung tails in the mud after officers spotted him Sunday morning, Dipre said. … Read more